Has politics gone peer-to-peer?

November 26, 2012 4:27 PM

Has politics gone peer-to-peer? A rich 90-minute panel discussion with Steven Johnson, author of "Future Perfect: The Case for Progress in a Networked World", featuring Yochai Benkler, Susan Crawford and Lawrence Lessig.
posted by mhjb (6 comments total)

But when city officials compared 311 calls and prevailing wind conditions, they were able to pinpoint the source: a flavor plant in New Jersey. It turns out they could have also asked Jay Leno.

That last sentence puzzles me. Is this something I'd need to subject myself to Jay Leno's show to understand?
posted by Strange Interlude at 5:36 PM on November 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

They just found out they can annoy their peers with their politics. The world will never be the same.
posted by cosmic.osmo at 5:44 PM on November 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

In the mid-90s, there was some of the very same "neither the market, nor the state" rhetoric. It was in the context of dismantling the welfare state and turning over social services to the volunteer sector.

p2p effectively means that we don't need to be concerned with the distribution of resources in society because middle-class volunteers will step in and self-organize charitable solutions. So lets cut taxes for the rich to better incentivize them to create all the amazing information technologies that will help these kind-hearted volunteers spend their weekends helping the less fortunate. It just warms your heart knowing that human beings aren't just motivated by greed.
posted by AlsoMike at 5:47 PM on November 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

I heard this guy with Tom Ashbrook on WBUR's On Point in September. Inspired me to buy the book.....haven't read it yet.
posted by Dr. Zachary Smith at 6:42 PM on November 26, 2012

Johnson speaking at Google.
posted by gen at 8:36 PM on November 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

wasn't it kind of always "peer-to-peer"
posted by This, of course, alludes to you at 3:49 AM on November 27, 2012 [1 favorite]