by Ryan Weber

Created on: April 19, 2008

The advent of the Internet is the most incredible tool of democracy since the Greek invention of government by the people. There are two clear indicators worldwide which point to this fact. First is that many non-democratic countries place extreme limits or even ban Internet use. Second, the Internet has given people around the world a voice as never before.

A number of oppressive nations place limits on Internet use. Recently, the most blatant example has been China, whose government restricts any on-line content which it deems subversive. This censorship has been called, the "Great Firewall" in reference to the Great Wall of China, built to keep barbarian hordes from destroying Chinese culture. According to a USA Today article from April 23, the "Great Firewall" blocks hundreds of Internet search words and phrases such as "persecution," "democracy movements," and "Tibetan independence." As the Olympic Torch makes its controversial route around the world, en-route to Beijing, China's response has been to keep information at a minimum to the outside world, while disseminating its own biased views through government run media outlets at home.

In Cuba, modern technology was outlawed altogether in order to maintain stability. Castro had witnessed how information about the democratic world could turn his people against him, demonstrated by the destruction of the Berlin Wall. In the years following World War II, East Berliners would catch dazzling glimpses of democratic prosperity from the other side of the wall in the form of TV and radio broadcasts, which led to constant illegal wall hopping, and the eventual collapse of the wall to an angry mod wielding sledge-hammers. A hopeful development in Cuba is new leader, Raul Castro's recent legalization of a wide array of electronics. Cubans will now allegedly be allowed to purchase cell phones, DVD players, and TV's up to 21 inches at exorbitant prices; all of which were previously contraband.

Perhaps the most democratic of all aspects of the Internet is its underlying purpose of instantaneously relaying information to all corners of the globe. Indeed, our entire society is quickly becoming entangled in the Web. The Internet has literally given us all an equal voice, through social networking sites like Myspace and is transforming politics through YouTube. Through the Internet, groups centered around a common political, economic or environmental interest can effectively organize peaceful protests, meetings, and even fund-raising.

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