Die a natural death

After some release of pent up anger, most issues raised in cyberspace would die a natural death as expected, just like sunrise and sunset. The AIM issue is long gone and forgotten. The latest ballot box issue is already on its way to history. That is the beauty of a first world society, all sensible and rational people. Everything talk only, no violence, very civilized. All they want is the right to express their unhappiness or frustration. Once this is allowed and done, anger dissipated, life goes on.
 
The govt must be comforted by this development. The earlier fear of the internet is unfounded. The freedom of expression that was more limited in the pre internet days when nothing much was heard for good reasons became a worrisome preoccupation of the govt when internet first came into the picture. How would the people react given this new freedom? Should they be controlled, should internet be controlled? How would internet interfere with the politics of the country? How would internet influence the way people think and vote?
 
The truth is that nothing really changed. In fact internet has offered an avenue for people to let off steam, vent their frustrations when they needed to and to feel good about it when done. And in most cases there is a feeling of well being when they could get things off their chest in the internet. They had their final say.
 
Tan Jee Say and Tan Cheng Bock had their pieces published in cyberspace questioning the suspicious reappearance of the ballot boxes. Having said that and done with, case closed. There seems to be a closure that the main media could not give. With internet, the injured or supposedly wrong party or victim has the right to have a last stand. This is an improvement over the old ways when these people would have to swallow whatever perceived injustice quietly as they would not be heard. And that could lead to them harbouring deep grievances that may seek an outlet sooner or later in the most unexpected way.
 
Such feelings of outrage and seething sense of injustice could be ameliorated by allowing the parties to say whatever they want, curse whoever they want, and go home and have a good sleep.
 
This is a great contribution of the internet, to defuse a time bomb, to make people feel better. Yaacob should take note of this and take his hands off the internet to let the unhappy people say what they want. Better this way than street protest and violence. With internet there would not be any Spring. People will talk about their problems and dissatisfaction verbally and better still if the govt could engage them verbally as well. Uh, they called this communication and engaging the people.