It is just the beginning

It nearly overthrows the Abdullah govt, but done enough to put it in a crisis. Now it is reshaping public opinion in South Korea on a very popular and generous President. The South Koreans are changing their support for the President to a low approval rate of 20%. Despite donating his fortune for the poor, President Lee Myung Bak's political fortune is now in a tailspin. Public opinion of Lee Myung Bak has changed drastically because of his perceived compromise with the US to allow import of American beef feared to contain mad cow disease. And the internet played a huge role in disseminating all kinds of information and reports and struck fear in the minds of the Korean populace. The old media, TOM, tried its best to spin different stories but lost out to the internet as the people have lost confidence in what the TOM says. The internet and sms are two new tools that have transformed the politics of Malaysia and South Korea. They have also transformed the lives of many around the world where freedom of expression has been limited. Information and news are now flowing freely in every nooks and corners of the world. Plugging this is near impossible except with draconian laws that will violate human rights and internationally accepted norms of what is acceptable or unacceptable govt actions. We are all standing at the doorstep of a brave new internet world, watching and participating in it. The change that will come along is difficult to envisage.