We Want Media

Much of what has been said about the internet since its inception has been overwhelmingly positive. It provides unparalleled opportunities for constructive collaboration and has remedied some of the chief concern over corporate media ownership. This week, however, I’ve been beating the drum about some of the internet’s oft-neglected downsides. Continuing along this theme, I bring you this analysis from the United States Army War College, reminding us that though the internet's powerful resources can help us further the causes of truth and democracy in this modern era, it can just as easily be used to achieve profound evil.

The article points out that al Qaeda operatives and other terrorist cells value the internet as their most useful tool in planning attacks, and that even in peacetime situations, internet buzz has exacerbated tensions between Israel and Palestine, NATO and Serbia, Taiwan and China, and China and the United States.