In reflecting on Robert W. McChesney’s “Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy,” my thoughts dwelled on equity and globalized capitalism. McChesney outlines the lifespan of the internet, from its inception to its modern iteration, and all the pitfalls along the journey. One of the greatest inventions of the past half-century has equated to a modern example of the tragedy of the commons. Equity, once a beacon for the goal of the internet, has instead been cast aside for the pursuit of global capitalism.

McChesney indicated that the creation of the internet would “bring information equality and uninhibited instant communication among all people everywhere.,” (McChesney, 2013) and would usher an end to “inequality, exploitation, corruption, tyranny, and militarism.” (McChesney, 2013) Public funds were used to establish the internet infrastructure as it was of public interest to decentralize education and create a modern enlightenment era.

The entire realm of digital communication was developed through government-subsidized-and-directed research during the post–World War II decades, often by the military and leading research universities. (McChesney, 2013)

As publicly funded infrastructure, it would make sense that such an investment would result in a crown corporation. However, McChesney sarcastically points out,

…the proper role of the government goes like this: make the massive initial investments and take all the risk. Then, if and when profitable applications become apparent, let commercial interests move in and rake in the chips. (McChesney, 2013)

Although a cynic, McChesney was correct in his analysis of the economic trajectory of the internet. Once a publicly funded equalizer, the internet has shifted to a profiteering dream.

            Time and time again, McChesney indicates that the internet community was apprehensive in swaying to commercial demands noting that in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and as late as 1998 noting their interests were to be “harbingers of egalitarianism and cooperation, not competition and profits.” (McChesney, 2013) Global capitalists, however, gained the ear of public policymakers and quickly transformed the once crown corporation into a duopoly. Coupling this duopoly with dot com enterprises has transformed the egalitarian start-up into an advertisement-infested goldmine for global capitalists. In a degrading infrastructure where the United States has fallen to thirtieth in broadband metrics (McChesney, 2013), the original goal of the internet is all but forgotten.

There is hope, however, to restructure how the commons of the internet can once again become more equitable. The goal of internet equity can be seen in cases like Wikipedia, which McChesney elaborates on in his quote, “Wikipedia is the most striking example. As John Naughton puts it, amateurs “have created what is effectively the greatest reference work the world has yet produced.” (McChesney, 2013) However, a small platform will need the support of democratic institutions.

Although the government appeased the capitalistic interests preying on the internet, I anchor my solution to the thoughts of Virgılio Almeida et al. in their article “Digital Governance and the Tragedy of the Commons .”As Virgılio Almeida et al. argues, “Responding to changing conditions and new technologies in the digital world will demand a new equilibrium that reshapes governance arrangements. “ (Almeida, Filgueiras, & Gaetani, 2020). Thus the only way to rekindle the equitable goal of the internet would then be to re-legislate the legislation that diminished the original intent of the e-commons.

My questions regarding this reading then are as follows.

1. The internet is the epitome of globalization in both connection and economic gain. Considering this, should a nation nationalize its internet services, information included for the public good?

2. How will the capitalist economy respond as the internet expands into the realm of artificial intelligence and dismisses the need for e-giants like Google? 

Works Cited

Almeida, V., Filgueiras, F., & Gaetani, F. (2020). Digital Governance and the Tragedy of the Commons. IEEE Computer Society, 41-45.

McChesney, R. W. (2013). Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy. The New Press, 96-129.