Man's reach exceeds his grasp

The internet, in theory, is without functional limits. It provides some sort of benefit for literally everything that we do. There are few things, if any, which cannot derive even a menial benefit from the internet. One may find love, receive an education, reconnect with lost friends, get the daily news, voice an opinion and learn how to do just about anything that is capable of being learned by using the internet. Many perceive the advancement of the internet in the last decade and get a sort of ‘anything is possible’ outlook on the future of the internet. This sense of ‘limitlessness' spawns truly grand and noble ambitions for the future role of the internet in our society. Innovative ideas coupled with a sense of limitlessness, in theory, comes beyond belief yet feasible possibilities. I believe the most widespread of these feasible possibilities is the manifestation of the true will of the American people through the internet. Granted, this is a sort of utopian aspiration, but it is none the less a feasible one. Obviously, the main barrier to the emergence of this forum is a logistical one, yet I ask the reader to momentarily forget logistical barriers (internet prevalence, literacy), and accept the inevitability of an internet forum which provides the capability to project the true will of the people. This utopian forum will allow for a truly collective voice, comprised of all Americans, centralized in an easy to understand graph or pie chart. When it is accomplished it will have the potential to immensely influence countless decisions in a hyper-democratic way. It will allow for Congressional and Presidential decisions to be greatly persuaded by the straightforward and easy to understand projection of the people’s will. The internet then, in theory, can provide the most important tool to our elected policy makers: the voice of the people.

Unfortunately, too often an idea in theory misleads perceivers into believing that the ‘idea in theory’ will eventually become an idea manifested in reality because of the clearly logical steps laid out (the logical steps here are: the idea that we will soon have the capable technology because of exponential innovation and that a collective voice is nothing but beneficial). Moreover, it provides the expectation that not only will it become a reality, but that the change to the status quo will be equal to the change in technology. Better said, revolutionary technology should provide revolutionary change. In regards to an idea in theory, in this case, the idea is the internet and the theory is the utopian political device made possible by the internet.

It has been said that man’s grasp exceeds his reach, which is meant to illustrate man’s ability to think beyond what he is capable of actually achieving. The potential of the internet is, more and more, equated to the potential of humanity: as limitless. This likening of potentialities generates a grandiose expectation of the role of the internet in our future society. People not only understand the internet as limitless, but expect it to advance in the same way that it has over the last decade, and it will. What will lag behind is its counterpart in limitlessness: humanity. The internet is growing and adapting faster than humans are capable. The internet will eventually provide the possibility for a collective voice to be utilized by elected officials, but like the right to vote not everyone will participate. Its emergence will illustrate a society unwilling to utilize a revolutionary forum which allows the true will of the people to impose weekly influence upon elected policy makers. Proponents of the internet as a utopian political device will be dejected when it enters reality, as it will go immensely underused and thus underappreciated. The collective will of the people, enabled by the use of the internet, will fatally rely on wide-spread participation. It will require a dedication that is plainly not there. Perhaps on matters of vital national importance (which are rare) participation will be high, but the people will remain drastically underrepresented on the majority of issues at the federal level, and almost all of the issues at the state and lower levels. I don’t believe that I am being too extreme. The American people are too often an apathetic people, and I don’t see that changing. Of course it would be foolish to say that even a few million voices are better than none, but what is truly foolish is the inability to achieve widespread and consistent participation in a forum that will greatly improve democracy. I predict that the average American will not fully appreciate the revolutionary benefits that this forum will provide until long after its creation. It will be a sad day indeed when a simple lack of participation from a desktop is the difference between the manifestation of the will of the people and business as usual. Man’s reach, as far as this is concerned, exceeds his grasp.