I see this kind of position as just another reactionary form of idealism. Just like Karl Marx reacted against class inequality, just as Ayn Rand reacted against communism, so anarchists react against bad things that happen under governments.

But if there is no central authority, who is to say that society won't degenerate into something worse? Left to its own devices, society is a system that makes no guarantees. It may cause an oligarchy of bloodthirsty warlords to arise, or worse. Ultimately forms of government will form one way or another. The only question is, what can we do to stop atrocities and increase welfare for everyone?

There are lots of conservatives and libertarians calling for smaller government. I can appreciate their point of view. I personally think that government has one role: to ensure the minimum expectations of its citizens. We want clean water, healthy food, functioning roads, safe infrastructure, a thriving economy, and so on. On a local level, we have zoning laws, licenses and other regulations. The idea is, if a group of intelligent citizens were exposed to the information, they would see why the decisions are made the way they were made. The government actions which should be checked are those that wouldn't pass this test. Thus, greater transparency and feedback is needed.

A representative democracy is slow to change and fix its problems. We elect some people and then regret it when they can't do everything they promised. Still, I am happy that Obama started http://data.gov and http://recovery.gov and published http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/TransparencyandOp...

I think that among the steps we can take are to increase the efficiency of the feedback loop between the government, and websites publishing the data, experts analyzing the data and blogging, journalists publicizing the data, and the government understanding the public reaction directly or indirectly, more often than once every 4 years.

But what is going to keep us safe? Why do I feel safer in the United States today than I would have felt in the past? CULTURE. No matter how powerful the government is, it's only one part of the larger picture. The overall culture of the society is what causes it to be prone to one thing or another. It is far stronger than any government.

Our culture today is one that points out racism and discrimination where it exists, and tries to shame it out of the public policy. It is one that is permeated by greater knowledge and understanding, thanks to the internet, than any previous generation has had. I am a big believer in the power of tools to shape culture. (Look at facebook, etc.) And ultimately that is what causes real change (look at the middle east revolutions thanks to the new tools on the internet).

Finally, I would encourage everyone to watch the BBC documentary "A Century of the Self". It speaks about the PR industry and one Edward Burnays, nephew of Sigmund Freud, who ironically we know today thanks to Burnays. Propaganda, the tool of governments, was turned into an industry that helps corporations influence the public via images that appeal to our psychology. Commercials started to appeal to our inner drives. For Freud, the collective expression of our unconscious desires (for sex, power, etc.) was a dangerous thing. It would cause mass revolutions, mass violence. In today's United States, if we feel anger at something we go buy an ikea set or a new Nintendo Wii and feel much better. Video games, social media, and even the entire internet satisfies our desires for sex, information, and socializing without ever picking up a gun. It's a new world, but it's a safer world.

I view social media as an extension of PR, taking its first steps trying to insert itself into conversations. Personally I'm working on tools that I hope will help the world communicate in more authentic ways than they do today using Facebook, etc. And I think it will ultimately make a difference in the social lives of many people, and probably will make a positive difference for society as well. If I make it, I will honestly be very proud of having played a part in helping people live happier lives.