Let's start with the humble news regarding my (first) contribution to WikiLeaks Stories; you know, the text adventure I've already mentioned in the original WikiLeaks Stories post. Well, it's doing fine really. The document on which the game will be based has been selected, my knowledge of Inform 7 is rapidly deepening and some design ideas are already being tested, meaning the thing will definitely be ready (sooner or later -hopefully sooner).
On the rather more important creative front of proper indie developers, Jonas Kyratzes is happily being productive and imaginative as ever, and more than a few indie devs are trying to come up with an idea. I wouldn't be shocked if a Molleindustria production suddenly got released, mind.
Important note: WikiLeaks Stories is not a compo. There is no deadline. Whenever you decide to actually start and/or publish your game will be fine, as these stories will be equally important in a year or a decade from now. The battle for online free speech and against corporate/state censorship will -surely- also remain more than crucial.
What's more, WikiLeaks Stories is once again proving that the game community is interested in such political matters and that gaming is not something that ignores society/life/universe/fish. I'd thus like to thank the countless Twitterers (sp?) that helped spread the WikiLeaks Stories ...err... story. Oh, and here are some links to WikiLeaks Stories related stuff you will surely appreciate:
Wikileaks is Change Obama cannot imagine. We need this transparency to steer our new global society
ReplyDeleteWe NEED proper steering mechanism to survive the global society we created with technology. Transparency/involvement is needed. It's urgent, at this moment our society has an obsolete 200 years old steering mechanism. How can a few wise leaders understand these complex global issues pending ?
Would we have gone to Iraq over Weapons of mass destruction is we were part of the diplomatic cable discussion ?
Better of with more transparency ? Credit Crises / Cable gate shows governments are not so much in control of the global society. Wasn't it work of the press to tell us the truth ?
Can the government be specific what is so threatening, because NO ONE DIED by the cables released. People did die because the same amount of money did go to Foreign Affair as to public health care.
At least the cork out of the bottle. Fact is that secrets are harder to keep anno 2010. Shutting down is naive. Discuss it is the only option.. If democracy fails, the only solution is MORE democracy!. Fill the streets and discuss where the press fails.
I generally agree anonymous, especially on the rather wise statement that "[i]f democracy fails, the only solution is MORE democracy!"
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ReplyDeleteInsanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
ReplyDelete- Albert Einstein
And the definition of "government by the people for the people" is so wide that it really can be used to describe any from of government.
We have a representative democracy, meaning we elect people to office but is that really much choose to follow a king generation after generation? And in China right now they have communism, but they still have elections (not sure how far up they go), so at least in part it is a "government by the people for the people"
Democracy is simply most of the worlds current government, and as such has be indoctrinated into most of us to believe it is the ultimate form of government.
So yes most people would agree that we need more government by the people for the people, but sticking with a word that has many connotations that are anti democratic in my opinion would not be what I would suggest.
Particularly I would say that the current form of representative government has many flaws. Everyone even seems to acknowledge that officials need to act differentially around election time, so that they will be reelected. And their is the enormous amount of time and money they spend campaigning.
And their are lots of benefits to a permanent office. For one, it is your job for life so their is a lot more reason to try to educate your self to become better at it. And you cannot be as easily gotten rid of, so you do not have to pander to everyone. And it takes many years to get fully proficient at any job, so why would you want a new president every few years, when you would not even want a plummer with only a few years experience.
But personally I think with all the current communication technology available a representative government might no longer be needed and everyone could actually discuss, vote, and implement every part of government.
I will not discuss every point you made dear Jonathon, though I do agree with the spirit of your comment. Democracy is -indeed- just a word. A tarnished one too, as its representative/bourgeois form has ceased to actually be democratic a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteAs for immediate democracy I fully and wholeheartedly agree. We have to fight for it. New telecom tech will definitely help in its implementation, though the matter -as history has already proven- is not one of a technical nature. It's deeply political.
Cheers!
Democracy is an ancient word, and while many have forgotten its value, that doesn't mean it's not there anymore. It can be remembered. It can become a rallying cry for the oppressed. It is one of the greatest, most profound, notions in human history.
ReplyDeleteAye! And its immediate form can do even better!
ReplyDeleteThanks to GOD that we still have a resemblence of America's representative REPUBLIC not a Democracy. We elect a rep and a vote is made of our wishes. Failure to do so, removes the rep with a vote from those disenchanted by one who says something and votes of something else. (hence, the 2010 socialists masacre for disobeying the will of the people! Now, the conservatives will aim at 2012 and remove all the idiots who tried to ruin the country with Global Socialism! Let China and Europe fail from this disturbing government appeal of God-less twips. Hell is a wonderful place for them and God has this special place to burn forever!!!
ReplyDeleteWell that is a strange comment, I am not a expert at politics and am not even an American citizen but I am pretty sure that America is a Democracy.
ReplyDeleteAnd wikipedia seems to agree: "The United States is [a] ... democracy"
I don't think those two terms are mutually exclusive.
Well, you are right of course dear Jonathon, but it seems the doctors have advised us *never* to disagree with our anonymous friend here. Uhm, this means that the US is God's republic that survived the socialist massacre and unlike global socialism sports no democracy or something like that :p
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