Comments on: With the emphasis on “by” http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/01/with-the-emphasis-on-by/ Same old blog, brand new place Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:14:59 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Gregory Yankelovich http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/01/with-the-emphasis-on-by/comment-page-1/#comment-28400 Gregory Yankelovich Sat, 01 Mar 2008 20:07:50 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/01/with-the-emphasis-on-by/#comment-28400 I was wondering about impact of technology on archaic government structures for a while. Enterprise 2.0 enables commerce to "return" to fundamentally democratic marketplace, but the participation level still seem to be pretty elitist. Do we believe the evolution of commerce will cast away those who cannot change? Should the evolution of democracy lead to similar results? I was wondering about impact of technology on archaic government structures for a while. Enterprise 2.0 enables commerce to “return” to fundamentally democratic marketplace, but the participation level still seem to be pretty elitist. Do we believe the evolution of commerce will cast away those who cannot change? Should the evolution of democracy lead to similar results?

]]> By: Terry Heaton http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/01/with-the-emphasis-on-by/comment-page-1/#comment-28397 Terry Heaton Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:15:19 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/01/with-the-emphasis-on-by/#comment-28397 Lincoln borrowed that phrase from John Wycliffe who said it in the late 14th century upon completion of the first plain English translation of the Bible. "This book shall make possible government of the people, by the people and for the people." The lords of the time received their influence from the Roman church, whose power came from protecting the knowledge contained in the sacred text. Wycliffe's body was exhumed 12 years after he died, so that "the church" could burn the bones in a ceremony branding him the heretic of heretics. Today's protected knowledge -- that which maintains institutional power -- is again being made available to the masses, and the response from the halls of power is eerily similar to what it was in the middle ages. "The jewel of the elites is in the hands of the laity," they said back then. So it is today, and it's why I think this new government of the people, by the people and for the people actually stands a chance of fulfillment. Lincoln borrowed that phrase from John Wycliffe who said it in the late 14th century upon completion of the first plain English translation of the Bible.

“This book shall make possible government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

The lords of the time received their influence from the Roman church, whose power came from protecting the knowledge contained in the sacred text. Wycliffe’s body was exhumed 12 years after he died, so that “the church” could burn the bones in a ceremony branding him the heretic of heretics.

Today’s protected knowledge — that which maintains institutional power — is again being made available to the masses, and the response from the halls of power is eerily similar to what it was in the middle ages.

“The jewel of the elites is in the hands of the laity,” they said back then. So it is today, and it’s why I think this new government of the people, by the people and for the people actually stands a chance of fulfillment.

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