Slashdot Mirror
Disintermediation and Politics
code_rage writes "Everett Ehrlich (capsule biography) writes an article in the Washington Post that examines Howard Dean's effective use of the internet to create a political organization. He says that Dean has created a 'virtual' party that has taken over the only remaining asset of value, the brand name of the Democratic party. His analysis refers to the theory of Nobel-winning economist Ronald Coase: that the size of an organization is determined by the cost of gathering information. Ehrlich's article makes some predictions about the effect that Dean's strategy will have on the political system." In a related story, there's an mp3 interview with Dick Morris, along with a couple of (appropriately) blog posts about it.
In any case, Dean is gonna get smoked.
I can't believe you all are talking about this when people are dying in Iraq.
Thanks, my name is Michael, and unfortunately, I'll be here forever.
I never would have imagined such a first post would remind me of something, but this one does.
When I was a kid, my friend's parents bought his little brother a cheap white trash bike for his birthday. It had all kinds of dumb pictures and shit written all over it. One of the lines on the padded handlebar sleeve was, "What??? Huh??? Duh!!!". That became one of our tag lines for years to come.
As it turns out, this kid was white trash, and pretty stupid. He's probably manning a gas station register somewhere.
GWB for Emperor for life!
GWB
GWB
GWB
GWB
GWB
Oh, and if you don't agree with me, you can count on an anal investigation from John Ashcroft!
First, stop fucking around with kilos and use pounds like a real man.
GOT A HEART!
Bullet
I think I should go and leave you alone. yeah.
Stop this game and hang up the phone. And more.
I should go into the night alone and get inside of the cyclone.
It's like I wanted to break my bones to get over you.
'Cos if I stay I'm number two anyway.
Like a bullet you can hurt me,take me,break me.
Like fire you can burn me,convert me.
Like a bullet you can hurt me.
You say there are so many things going on in your life now.
It's so very hard to find time for me. And you say.
Do you believe in the destiny?
This is the way it was meant to be. I gotta leave you
to make you see. I'm over you. 'Cos if I stay
I'm number two anyway.
I can't believe it when my friends say.Take it easy,
don't you worry about the rainy days. Like fire you can burn me,
convert me. Like a bullet you can hurt me.
Maybe I'm blind. Forever young. Don't get me wrong.
I don't belong here. Like a fire you can burn me.
Like a bullet you can hurt me.
is using Slashdot as his personal political advertising board. Sims is a hardcore communist, and Dean is the only semi-communist contender with a chance of actually winning. Therefore, Sims has decided that Dean will be the next President, and is using every bit of power he has to see that occur.
This is not News for Nerds. This is not even Stuff that Matters. This is Sims taking even more license of his position as "editor". I highly suggest that Slashdot stop posting editorials and get back to posting real news.
Isn't this exactly what ESR said in The Cathedral and the Bazaar?
If you've not read it before, please follow the link above and spend a few minutes there. It is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand the free / open source software development model, and why it works so well.