The Perils of Digital Diplomacy

These days, the buzz at the State Department is all about Civil Society 2.0 - the idea that the United States can help non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) prosper through judicious use of technology and the Internet. Civil Society 2.0 projects have names like Random Hacks of Kindness and Tech@State.

But one well-known international relations wonk believes Civil Society 2.0 will actually empower repressive regimes. Tufts University's Daniel Drezner is a popular blogger at Foreign Policy magazine and a prominent expert on international politics. In a recent article published in The Brown Journal of World Affairs, Drezner puts forth the case that social networking actually helps repressive regimes once, say, the heady days of protests in the streets of Tehran come to an end.