Roundtable Wrap-Up: RT 15-Tuesday

Today, we began our discussion with the printing press and its pervasive effects on medieval society, and the role this technology played as a catalyst for the Renaissance and Enlightenment. The group noticed parallels with the multi-faceted consequences that the Church faced along with the secular exchange in the communities of science and philosophy with the role the internet and other social media play in modern times. The Church may be compared with the modern State or any established organization, while the exchange of intellectual information corresponds to the social media sites and general international connectivity, which the internet fosters.

Following this foray into the Middle Ages, the discussion strayed to the thematic element of the speed of the internet. The ability for individuals to discover current events instantaneously as they unfold at the click of a mouse has great implications to society. Several delegates posed the question, “Are we overwhelmed by speed?” while others attempted to reconcile the apparent positive aspect of rapid, increased connectivity with the difficulties governments face as a result of instantaneous global connectivity. The American public expects an immediate response to every event in the world, but the U.S. government cannot execute policy this way. Democracies and international coalitions are inherently slow to produce a resolution or formulate a policy. In certain situations, it is possible that another medium, such as NGOs may be needed to intervene and act immediately to deal with a crisis. President Obama’s recent deliberations and the American public’s anger over his lack of a clear policy in Libya exemplify this conundrum. 

 Tomorrow, the roundtable will focus on genocide, including case studies of specific examples in recent history, and the role social media and other connection technologies play in the alleviation or augmentation of genocide.