In The Internet Age, Do We Need Representative Government? Is Congress Out of Date?Brandon Pierce How many of us think about what that word really means? Your representatives, both in the House of Representatives (aptly and uncreatively named) and the Senate, are supposed to stand in your stead. Basically, they are supposed to speak in the system of government on your behalf. Through the voting system we have, you and other constituents decide who your representative will be. From there, the concept is that said representative will make decisions that mirror the will of the people who they are representing. Of course, fears of losing their job supposedly drive them to stay in line with the will of those that put them in office. When the United States became a nation in 1776, this system of government was the fairest and most efficient that anyone could hope for. After all, not everyone could convene at the Capitol and vote for themselves. To make the system work, representation was the only way. In 2013, does this still hold true? Do we still need representation when the technology easily exists to represent ourselves effectively? The Internet provides everything our society needs to allow every issue out there to be voted on in a national referendum. It would cost essentially nothing to do so. Think about how commonplace it is to have an email address. Its that easy. Why in this day and age can we the people not simply speak for ourselves? That list could have been much longer, but you have to stop somewhere. In any case, you get the point. There are plenty of reasons people give why a true government for the people and by the people would not work, but it you take a closer look at the facts and their real intentions, you will find that most of these supposedly damning obstacles simply dont hold water. Now, for the list of real reasons why this could never happen in our society. Are you ready? Its not nearly as long as the list above. Well, thats about all then. So, in closing, what am I trying to say here? Put simply, sometimes it is what it is. The government we have doesnt have to exist for any practical reason. This technological age has brought inventions that could allow us to actually function as a self-governing society in a truly new concept that would change the world forever. There has never been a society like that, and it would really be the moment at which the human experience went to a transcendent new level. However, the existing government has every reason to want to make sure that such realities never exist. A lot of atheists out there frequently say that religion is holding the human race back. That, until we get over this hurdle, not much more can be achieved. Whether you agree with that stance or not, the same could be said about the current system of government. It is outdated and no longer efficient. It is also here to stay. This article first appeared at Common Sense Conspiracy. linkwithin_text=Related Articles: Recurring themes from the Deus Ex games come to mind. So your saying that the idea proposed by the author, wont work whatsoever? It doesnt sound perfect but it certainly seems better than current system. Here are some counter ideas/arguments responding to your statements 