Democratic Ideals Of Freedom And Equality? What Are Their Limits?

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How can the use of both “strong ties” and “weak ties” be used to help foster the democratic ideals of freedom and equality? What are their limits?
The world continues to change as new innovations and ideas are developed and adopted. The Internet has transformed the world into a global village where something that is happening in the US could have a tremendous effect in say China or Kenya. People appear to be connected and in constant communication as ideas are exchanged every day. However, are the ties people create enough to foster change or democratic ideals of freedom and equality? Well, to answer this question, this article considers the viewpoints discussed by Malcolm Gladwell in his 2010 article titled “Small Change” and Ian Bremmer’s “Democracy in Cyberspace: What Information Technology Can and Cannot Do.” Gladwell appears to question the use of social media in what he calls “high-risk activism,” and appears sceptical in its use to drive social and political change. Bremmer, on the other hand, is keen to mention the possibilities and impossibilities of information technology. Both articles allude to the new world which is as a result of the spread and interconnectivity of the world today. By looking at how each article adds to the topic under discussion, this paper seeks to support the notion that strong and weak ties can foster democratic ideals of freedom and equality but they are limited in what they can do.
Well, strong and weak ties can both be used to spread the message of freedom and equality to many people. Unlike a few decades back, people today can spread their ideas to millions across the globe fast and be able to recruit millions to their cause. This has been made possible by the internet and social media connections. In his article, Bremmer (86) notes that “advances in communications technology-cellular telephones, text messaging, the Internet, social networking- allow an ever-widening circle of people to easily and inexpensively share ideas and aspirations.” What this means is that in the modern era, the interconnectedness of the world has helped to connect people to each other and ideas as well as aspirations can be easily shared. It is possible for a movement in China to gain traction in the United States or South Africa and all this is because of the interconnectivity that has been made possible by the Internet. Gladwell appears to agree with Bremmer’s take on the modern world. He notes that “The new tools of social media have reinvented social activism. With Facebook and Twitter and the like, the traditional relationship between political authority and popular will has been upended, making it easier for the powerless to collaborate, coordinate, and give voice to their concerns” (2). Gladwell appears to agree that social media and the weak ties it creates makes it possible for the previously voiceless of the community to come together and table their demands. What both articles appear to indicate is that in the new era and with the innovations and developments in technology, people appear more aware of each other and the different initiatives around the world. T...