CAN THE ONLINE POLITICAL PARTY BE A TOOL FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE SITUATION OF ROMA IN EUROPE?

"This is better than grumbling in the pub. We want to give people a platform so they can come to an agreement - through Facebook, the internet, Twitter - on how they would like to change politics. The aim is not to fill the squares, but to give people room for their own civic initiative. Our political party wants to become the first online party ... We want to provoke people to form this party according their own ideas. I recognize that this is a bit of a leap into unknown waters," - Eduard Valášek, Czech refugee in Canada, founder of a new political movement called the Citizens' Government League (Czech Republic).

Can the online political party be a tool for improvement of the situation of Roma in Europe?

Yes, because... Politics is a pendulum

 

whose swings between anarchy and tyranny are fueled by perpetually rejuvenated illusions. The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil. We see before us a huge community of producers the members of which are unceasingly striving to deprive each other of the fruits of their collective labor - not by force, but on the whole in faithful compliance with legally established rules. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. <Albert Einstein> We have nothing more to lose when we give a try to one online party

 
 

Can the online political party be a tool for improvement of the situation of Roma in Europe?

 

No, because... Off-line action can be better

Progress in democracies (and often autocracies as well) is often based on having large numbers, as such online mobilisation may ultimately prove to be better than isolated offline communications and actions. The ability to show that large numbers are in it together can be very powerful.

 

On-line initiative can galvanize internal development of civil society, but it would never replace the quality of off-line real time communications and actions. Virtual political entity can serve only as one of the tools to improve the reality, but it would never be the main vehicle to bring the progress to people.

 

Vote on this point: Off-line action can be better

Absolutely Yes
Strongly Yes
Mostly Yes
Partially Yes
Neutral
Partially No
Mostly No
Strongly No
Absolutely No

Vote on this debate: Can the online political party be a tool for improvement of the situation of Roma in Europe?

Absolutely Yes
Strongly Yes
Mostly Yes
Partially Yes
Neutral
Partially No
Mostly No
Strongly No
Absolutely No
22 February 2011