3.1. Introduction
Software democracy puts the internet and its derived technologies at the service of citizens, entrusting them with the governance of society.
It is a construction of trust:
- trust in the ability of people to collectively make the right political choices.
- trust in the future of humanity and its ability to solve problems.
- trust in the ability of digital tools to protect liberties.
Technology is the solution, not the problem
Just as it was not possible to eliminate printing and books, it is not possible to eliminate the internet and the possibilities offered by the network. Technology will not disappear. A struggle to return to paper money or a refusal to use digital tools is doomed to fail. We must accept progress and seize opportunities!
The right question is the sovereignty exercised by the people over these tools. What if citizens controlled money through incorruptible cryptocurrencies? What if direct democracy could be exercised through certified electronic voting supported by an unfalsifiable digital identity?
Yes, these are also tools of the system! But instead of using them for oppression, they could be Open Source, developed and publicly audited, and used to make real political decisions. Democracy, a part of the Constitution in fact, would then be expressed in the code of these tools, making them the new support of the democratic society.
Education and freedom of expression
This direct exercise of Software Democracy, made possible by digital tools, is enabled by the return of freedom of expression in the media and on social networks. Only a well-informed citizen can make the right choices, and we must have confidence in collective intelligence to come up with good ideas, express them publicly, and ultimately govern.
This requires the implementation of independent and free social networks, allowing everyone to express themselves and debate. Here too, the solution lies in Open Source to have transparent and auditable platforms and avoid manipulative content algorithms.
Education must also transform. Knowledge is now freely available on networks and the functioning of education does not take this into account. However, education on citizenship, learning critical thinking, and the challenges of a free world are absent from the curriculum. The machine that produces political adults does not exist!
Globalization
There is no going back on globalization either. We have never been so aware of the smallness, finiteness, and isolation of our planet in space.
With the threats posed by our technological means, the establishment of international governance is therefore inevitable, probably even indispensable for our survival as a species. But is this a problem?
Again, it is a question of tools and objectives. International governance must be geared towards preserving fundamental freedoms, exercising software democracy, and cooperation between nations. It must also be outward-looking. Space is waiting for us!
It must finally be neutral with regard to the diversity of populations, cultures, and lifestyles. It is not about imposing a global culture but about proposing an international platform for discussion, always with the same requirements of transparency, democracy, and audibility.
The long term
Finally, software democracy aims to sustain the human species and life on Earth.
By definition free from political careerism, it allows for a strategy that is inscribed in time, over decades and more if necessary.
Thanks to this, software democracy can address fundamental issues such as climate, resource, or space management.