Clearing the cobwebs that won't let me sleep at night...

The public sphere - the "ideal" place for political discourse. What is a public sphere? According to E McLuskie, "A public sphere requires participation with policy consequences collectively agreed to--usually, the consequences part falls into black holes of sorts."

So why isn't facebook - so ideal? I suppose the argument is that since the policy consequences of any discourse is not specifically outlined - their are no outlined rules for the communicative game - that it is a breading ground for both manipulation, and propaganda as honest communication is limited to who is in control leaving the non-controlling side at risk for expression.

BUT! What else do we have? A platform to educate more widespread audiences than one would reach if merely teaching in academia. The opportunity to create change while utilizing facebook is available if one is tactful. It's a place where all walks of life are meeting and politically conversing more and more across communities.

As Call Me Taft writes,

"New media plays many roles in American politics. They can act as a venue for self-expression or a vehicle for voters to reach out to politicians. They can also offer politicians a way of making more information available to the public at minimal cost. Finally, new media provide a platform for political discourse on the web among the public, journalists, and candidates. The various technologies that make up new media can affect politics in any or all of these ways."

So new media offers opportunities.

So what??????...................The problem with our society is that we fail to create shared understandings of the creation and maintenance of social ills and agreed upon courses of action for managing said 'ills plaguing our country. Facebook, though limited, provides us with a better avenue to clarify political perspectives and maybe move participants a step closer to social resolutions with which the majority can live with.

Within facebook folks seem to be more comfortable with sharing what they do understand and their disagreements with current policies of action.

  I wonder if it offers "the general public" hope?

Rambling #2..........

something about the voices of boys - how do I raise my boys so that they feel comfortable sharing and realize they've been heard...

Rambline #3...Why Spanish Language will not overtake English - yet another long paper to be written. Having to do with the fact the English is such a diverse, descriptive language with multiple words available for describing similar situations giving the speaker the ability to more specifically depict...not that English isn't changing with the influence of Spanish speakers (or any other language for that matter)

Opposing Voice

An Opposing Voice in a Sea of Distention

Sometimes to move 2 steps towards where we want to be, towards what might work better for ALL-most ALL of us, we have to drive 90 miles out of our way because there are roadblocks, pot holes, earthquakes, and idot drivers who cause accidents. Should we fund everyone's health insurance no! But! our current system is SPIT!

Currently in our system, we're paying an outrageous price to stay alive (and who is the end benifactor of that cost??? Are the those drug company, and hospital recipients even American?) and is "to stay alive" a fundamental right - Life!~ (liberty and the pursuit). My history tells me -YES! I'm all for a health care overhaul. Do I want to live like Socialist Russia or Red China - or course not. Besides, this country, most likely, won't go there because we're "happily" a 2 party system and in 2 years everything will be repealed anyway.

So why go there??? Maybe, just maybe - people will begin to question the current system and in the longrun SOME change that we can ALL-most ALL agree on WILL happen. P.S. I'm strongly against - drugs, drug companies, doctors who solve problems with drugs (or any other band aid -get them hooked on care- solution). I'm against a "solve the problem after the fact philosophy," I'm against letting people spend their lives at McDonald's and then expecting ME to pay to fix their heart. BUT!!! there has got to be some balance. We happily send aid to Timbuktu because they were hit by a hurricane - despite the fact that they live in a "Hurricanes WILL happen area - and they were living in poverty to begin with" yet we fight like heck when our local volunteer firefighter - with no benefits - needs health care help after he damaged his lungs when voluntarily pulling people from 911 ash, and now can no longer work because of his deteriorated health. Go figure.

I understand the argument "Why should I help immunize my out of work neighbor's children who is just having children to get a monthly gov. payment that will help them buy 20 cans of cat food and 2 packs of cigarettes - oh the cat food was for their children to eat???" Why should I help them? Oh because not helping them means I who was immunized and the immunity has worn off will be exposed?" Is it fair - NO@! But is if fair that a double income family working 2-3-4-5 jobs can't afford "preventative health care" to stay healthy so they can keep making money for the man. NO!

Where's the balance - What does it take to take 2 steps in the right direction - a direction that WILL work for All - most all of us....?????. Do I want to live like Socialist Russia or Red China - or course not. This country won't go there because in 2 years everything will be repealed anyway. So why go there??? Maybe just maybe - people will begin to question the current system and in the longrun SOME change that we can ALL-most all agree on WILL happen. P.S. I'm strongly against - drugs, drug companies, doctors who solve problems with drugs and a "solve the problem after the fact philosophy," I'm against letting people spend their lives at McDonald's and then expecting ME to pay to fix their heart. But there's got to be some balance. We happily send aid to Timbuktu because they were hit by a hurricane - despite the fact that they live in a "Hurricanes WILL happen area" yet we fight like heck when our local volunteer firefighter - with no benis - needs help from his pulling people from 911 ash. Go figure. I understand the argument "should I help immunize my out of work neighbor's children if not helping them means I who was immunized and the immunity has worn off will be exposed?" Is it fair - NO@! But is if fair that a double income family working 2-3-4-5 jobs can't afford "preventative health care" to stay healthy so they can keep making money for the man. NO -

Where's the balance - What does it take to go 2 steps in the right direction - a direction that WILL work for All-most ALL of us....????? What will it take to get you to question what we have? What will it take to get you to ACT, to get you to move us towards a better solution???