A DIFFERENT FRAMEWORK ARCHITECTURE AS METAPHOR D emocracy is based on the noble and clear idea that people are capa- ble of governing themselves-which means that they are capable of understanding what is happening and making rational decisions about it. But it is becoming extremely difficult to understand what is happening. Although the main ingredients of understanding-stories and information-are present in abundance they do not come together in ways that lead the masses to wise engagement with their world. It is frequently said that we are living in the information age meaning that our time has, among its other delights an un- precedented amount of information. We also have of course an unprecedented range of activity concerned with gathering information sorting it, filing it, re- cording it, buying and selling it, transmitting it, and otherwise pushing it about. The dilemma of democracy is that while governance issues grow ever more complex and information more copious the systems of mass commu- nication make it ever more possible for political operators (left right and center) to distort this complexity -- to reduce it down to simple stories most people can understand without too much trouble and can believe as long as they don't take in too much information. Information overwhelms us and it overwhelms our beliefs.
223
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online