Milton Friedman, Václav Havel and Bloggers

From American.com, on blogging, economics, market of ideas, journalism, self-regulation, Milton Friedman and more:

Milton Friedman, Technology Maven

By Jens F. Laurson and George A. Pieler*

… [T]he beauty of blogging: Self regulation at its very best. While 99.9% of blogs will be read only by their authors and three buddies, possibly coerced, quality asserts itself quickly and rises to the top. With no editorial straitjacket on the information or the quality of offerings, the consumer chooses by his action (reading—or not; spreading the word—or not, linking—or not) what makes a quality product. The “blogosphere” is like a little experimental universe validating consumer choice vs. regulation—and consumer choice has won a colossal victory. Trial and error may not help find the right surgeon, but it seems to be a great way to find your right media diet. By and large, blog consumers have shown an incredible sense for quality and reliability.

Blogging’s greatest “weakness” is thus its greatest strength: Web authors and their sites come with no expectations, claims, or certifications of quality or reliability. Precisely because there is no authority filtering our blogged content, because of this healthy lack of “if it is printed, it must be true”, the reader can and must judge for himself. Instead of floundering helplessly in a sea of (mis-) information (the self-serving admonition from media traditionalists), the internet news-and-entertainment hungry reader develops a knack for picking the cherries out of the innumerable offerings. The blogosphere has something for everyone. Viewpoints are chosen, not dictated, and niches of interest explored, not marginalized.

…

Left to the free market of ideas and instant reader feedback, good writing, quality and reliability in blogging secures a readership and reputation solely on merit. The analogy to “democracy” may be clichéd but the blogosphere is a prime example of Milton Friedman’s credo (“Capitalism and Freedom”) that minimal (or no) regulation and state licensing are best; they are too often a pretext to shut down competition not protect the populace.

All the more reason, then, why Friedman should be the patron saint of the Age of Blogging: people with brains, networks, and powers of self-expression don't wait for journalism degrees anymore to have an impact. Indeed the response of 'mainstream' journalism to blogging (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em) vindicates Friedman's skepticism of credentialing like few other phenomena of the past 50 years. This may be a sub-part of what Friedman saw as the power of the Internet: "The Internet is the most effective instrument we have for globalization," he said in 2005, referring to the power of instant electronic connections for commercial purposes. The same applies, of course, to the world of ideas, flourishing free of the state.

Makes you reflect on the current situation in Malaysia doesn’t it? Clash of Web 2.0 and strictly state-regulated media; flourishing world of ideas and the power of the powerless.

Speaking of Václav Havel**, this is from the introduction of his essay “The Power of the Powerless” from worldandi.com:

…[H]avel urges his fellow citizens to down-play strictly political activity in favor of a strategy he feels will be more successful: cultivating the sphere of truth within individuals in the hope that as this hidden sphere grows, it will becomes an irresistible force that will change society.

Perhaps Malaysian bloggers could down-play politically charged tendency and instead be catalysts to cultivate objective pursuance of truth and knowledge. It is bound to be more productive if the aim is to sow the seed towards a more mature society.

Elanor

(All emphases added.)

*Jens F. Laurson is Editor-in-Chief of the International Affairs Forum and classical music critic for the Culture-blog Ionarts. George A. Pieler is Senior Fellow with the Institute for Policy Innovation.

**Václav Havel is a Czech writer and dramatist, the last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of Czech Republic, hero of the Velvet Revolution and the moral core of the movement to establish a true democracy in Czechoslovakia.