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When Ronnie Reagan spoke of the 'Evil Empire' menacing the whole world he
maybe should have been mindful of the (perhaps apocryphal) native American
saying to the effect that anyone pointing the finger also points three back at themselves.
Speaking for a domestic audience he was surely unaware of how large a
percentage of the global population regards his native land as the Empire in question
and how widespread and deep runs the indignation and resentment of it's
widening manipulation of world events and resources.
It's ironic then, to say the least, that one of the greatest and most effective resources
now available and functioning as a tool for those at odds with the New Imperialism
should also be one of it's most ubiquitous and accepted creations, that which you're
perusing right now, the good ole' www.
Interestingly, many of the prophets of the' information age' seem to be blind to the
implications of the contents of the information exchanged. From the 'medium is the
message' sophistry of Mcluhan to the speedfreak enthusiasms of Alvin Toffler the
concern has been with the conceptual rather than the functional aspects of what has been
created. This is probably something that all the' rebels' can be immensely grateful for.
What was originally created as a means for the furtherance of the interests of an elite has
paradoxically become one of the possible instruments of their dethronement and a
new resource for the enfranchisement of a wider and wider audience,a participatory
forum that encompasses the planet.
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