Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Arena of Communication
Yoko Ono once remarked that she was blown away by John Lennon's arena of communication. At the time she made this observation, the U.S. State Department was already making plans to have him deported because of his ability to attract huge numbers of people to his anti-war concerts and recordings. Worse yet, the people motivated by his music to commit acts of civil disobedience against the war were linking up with militants from the Civil Rights Movement outraged by the assassinations of Fred Hampton and Martin Luther King Jr.
John Lennon's arena of communication, as Yoko referred to it, was sufficient to turn out supporters en masse throughout North America and Europe. He could, for example, simultaneously launch peace campaigns in New York, LA, London, Paris, Toronto and Vancouver utilizing billboards, radio and television without breaking a sweat or cutting a check. He had that much moral influence.
How we might effectively apply the principles of communication in the age of the Internet is a discussion we probably ought to begin.
John Lennon's arena of communication, as Yoko referred to it, was sufficient to turn out supporters en masse throughout North America and Europe. He could, for example, simultaneously launch peace campaigns in New York, LA, London, Paris, Toronto and Vancouver utilizing billboards, radio and television without breaking a sweat or cutting a check. He had that much moral influence.
How we might effectively apply the principles of communication in the age of the Internet is a discussion we probably ought to begin.
