The Second Superpower is not Russia or the European Union, but the collective intelligence of the global social movement. This movement exists virtually and in the “real world”, ideas are passed around using email, instant messaging, blogs, websites. A single individuals good idea can be expedited around the globe in hours. Bottom-up emergence is starting to become a reality where the power is formed collectively as a group rather than in a traditional “top-down” (Prime Minister, Government, Councillors, Citizens) model. Of course, this has only just started but in the last ten years a local protest can become a national protest, an individuals fight against a greater force can be followed by anyone with a net connection. It’s not all perfect, the second superpower can only thrive through the freedoms granted by the first and there is still obviously a dominance of the traditional model (one example is the mass media who still yield huge power). Read the document and i’d also recommend a basic(-ish) introduction to emergence theory, which is the basic premise behind bottom-up systems.
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2 Comments
I always knew you were a fan of bottom-up systems.
Nico
Mmm. More intelligent comments - great!…