----------------------------Original Message------------------------------ ------------------------Republication Authorized-------------------------- -------------------Coordinate Your Response With FINS--------------------- TO THE MEDIA, EDUCATION, LIBRARY, AND INFORMATION COMMUNITIES AS A PUBLIC SERVICE BY FINS THE FOLLOWING NEWS COLUMN WAS POSTED IN MULTIPLE LISTS TODAY FINS: Communicating the Emerging Philosophy of The Information Age FEDERAL INFORMATION NEWS SYNDICATE VOL I, ISSUE 1 (1,088 words) EMBARGOED UNTIL January 11, 1993 Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed. The entire universe need not arm itself to crush him. A vapour, a drop of water suffices to kill him. But if the universe were to crush him, man would still be more noble than that which killed him, because he knows that he dies and the advantage which the universe has over him; the universe knows nothing of this. All our dignity consists, then, in thought. By it we must elevate ourselves, and not by space and time which we cannot fill. Let us endeavor, then, to think well; this is the principal of morality. B. Pascal, Pensees CLOSING THE "VALUES-GAP": Participatory Democracy in the Information Age By Vigdor Schreibman Those with the power to choose bought the "riverboat gamble" proposed by Ronald Reagan: reduce taxes, limit business regulation by "supply side" public policy, and maximize defense against a phoney Soviet threat. Then they jumped for the "kinder and gentler" America that George Bush offered as a corollary to his infamous Willie Horton TV hit-man series, exploiting racial fear. We now have the results of those Republican Administrations, which were sustained by a Democratic Congress and a Liberal Press. Those political machinations that supported a war of rich man versus poor, and a debt crisis that is its continuing legacy, mark the high-water point of the excesses of narrow Republicanism. Ironically, the "Forgotten Majority" [Phillips, 1993], who lost Reagan's reckless gamble must now pay the oceanic material costs incurred in red ink, and bear the other painful human impacts caused by those incongruent purposes, values and strategies. Deep anger and disappointment over these matters has been expressed by the overwhelming majority of voters, in polls taken across the country before and after the recent Presidential election. It would be a singular error, with the installation of the new President, to ignore the reality that the major political leadership groups of the United States, have let us down. This leadership breakdown is a signal that the existing situation and its psychocultural and political foundations require serious reconsideration. Even now, however, the corporate insiders, special interest lobbyists and other power brokers can be seen around town staking out the plum jobs in Government and taking control over the new policy making apparatus, as the "slow dance" of politics (to borrow a phrase used by Independent Ross Perot), returns to business as usual in the Federal Capital. A stunning example of this conduct is the promise to voters--desperate for political reform--that the Clinton/Gore team would restrain insider lobbyists. But once elected, they tagged the chief lobbyist of the Information Industry Association as chairman of the transition group in charge of the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is slated by the IIA to take sweeping control over a proposed National Information Infrastucture! Color the new Administration red, white, or blue, describe it as Conservative, Liberal, Republican, Independent or Democratic (even a different kind of Democrat!) and what invariably remains at its inner core organized under the ideology of narrow Republicanism, is the same asymmetrical structure of power. This ideology offers variations on the same outcome each time around; namely: a future dictated by politicians empowered to unilaterally choose the purposes and strategies of the Nation. These leaders are far too often paralyzed by the awesome character of their responsibilities. Unable or unwilling to defend a synthesis of valued ideas of the whole people, they protect the narrow interests of a favored minority of "artificial aristo- crats," defined by power alone, as Jefferson described. Each generation of political leadership gets worse as the instruments of social manipulation used by all factions progressively improve. Society manifestly cannot be shaped in desireable ways merely by fragmented citizens placing blind hope in the wisdom or benevolence of narrow Republicanism. To create the shared future that we all desire, unilateral choice by public officials should be superceded by encouragement and facilitation of meaningful participation by the people in the decisionmaking process of all institutions (public and private), which directly affect their lives. This is no utopian idea. As proven by real-world experience in a variety of fields, when it is competently managed, such a strategy can be the most efficient and effective way under which to organize the human resources of any community. It fosters the creative efforts, loyalty, and commitment of all the stakeholders in any civic or business enterprise while the present scheme brings about ever widening cycles of anger, distrust and alienation providing a foundation for social decadence, which is all around us. Participatory democracy is not a new idea. Jefferson fervently wished for a form of Republicanism in which "popular control [was] pushed to the maximum of its practicable exercise." Indeed, participatory governance is now recognized as a vital element of genuine progress, both with regard to material prosperity and human well being. Management scientists understand that the human values and distribution of power that control such matters, are central to the betterment of relationships between government/manage- ment/professional, and people who are governed, managed, or represented. See e.g., Flexner, 1989]; [Lodge, 1984]; [Argyris, 1982]; [Ackoff, 1981]. The need for wise interpersonal action in an age of increasing complexity and uncertainty, is most compelling. Moreover, to meet the challenges of global competition such strategies are becoming a national imperative. Systematic management of the interpersonal action of stakeholders in public programs can foster high quality dialogue of the most intelligent kind. [Warfield, et al., NSF 1987]. Indeed, in a world where growth is limited by finite resources meaningful citizen participation in governance might be the key for humanity to the meta-ideal of "unlimited development" and "unlimited progress toward . . .omnicompetence." [Ackoff, 1981]. We can live the dream of creation spawned by the unique opportunities of our times. This generation of Americans, just as the citizens of other Nations, are increasingly informed by the "information revolution." Living the dream of its awe-inspiring promise for all humanity, should be our one great ambition. To sustain that aspiration for the benefit of the whole people, they must by a meaningful part of the process! __________ Federal Information News Syndicate, Vigdor Schreibman, Editor & Publisher, 18 - 9th Street NE #206, Washington, DC 20002-6042. Copyright 1993 FINS. E-mail fins@access.digex.com; Fax/Voice (202)547-6106. Subscription rate: United States and International media, networking, broadcasting, or print reproduction rights in primary markets, $30.00 a year for 24 issues.