my thoughts on technopolitics

Internet related political activism comes in many forms. But as Kahn and Kellner point out, many cultural and political movements have had a major influence on people all over the world. But Kahn and Kellner see that there is an obvious problem with this. We can clearly see the growth of extremist web sites and their influence on troubled youth, but one can also see the grotesque mixture of websites belonging to the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan nation  and Neo-Nazi organizations that are only good for spreading  extreme hate. But on a positive note, political activism presented on the internet can be considered important and maybe even necessary in helping internet users keep up with currrent political issues and struggles. Kahn and kellener suggest that the internet itself has become more democratic and participatory and from this the emergence of the blog, wikis, and other social networking portals came about. Many blogs are highly politcal in their content, and is mentioned in this reading, "warblogging", became increasingly popular after 9/11. The wars in Irag and Afghanistan only kept this "warblogging"  an ongoing phenomenon. Kahn and Kellner also claim that the most common problem with blogs is that they are unable to be found by most users, and this results in nanoaudiences. Thay aslo claim that that it is a well known fact that blogs have a very high turnover rate, meaning they fall just as quickly as they rise. In Kahn's and kellner's reconstructive approach to how the internet should promote technopolitics, they don't fail to mention the positive aspects of blogging, wikis, and other digital technologies. But I think their main objective is to get the reader to also see the pitfalls. Technopolitics has made its mark through blogging, and social networking, and will provably be around for a long time to come. I can definitely appreciate the fact that Kahn and Kellner see the reconstruction of the internet as being necessary because of what it can accomplish. They also mention that oppositional groups that have the capability to utilize the digital tools necessary to develop forms of technopolitics could help to increase social justice, and  liberate both humanity and nature from oppressive forces that are an obvious part of our global reality.