Virtual Country: Strategy for 21st Century Democracy

A very special and significant moment for humankind is upon us. Yet, it is a moment that most people have not yet recognized. For the first time in our known human history, it is now possible for an unlimited number of citizens to gather in one place, online, for the purpose of expressing our collective voice and votes, on the very issues that affect us all. The very recent convergence of the Internet, social media and mobile devices makes this possible.

Virtual Country proposes a new, comprehensive “meta-strategy” for bringing the collective voice of “We the People” to the forefront of politics. It posits that without changing or enacting a single law and without the need for a constitutional convention, a new national institution can be created and launched right now, online. It is one that can operate “virtually,” right alongside the goings-on of government. And it can provide our elected representative with ongoing advisory input from citizens, on an issue by issue basis, every single day.

By presenting important issues, one at a time, to fully authenticated citizens, in self-contained “Voting Modules” that include fact-verified educational material, different ways to “vote,” moderated discussions and a way to for popular issues to be disseminated effortlessly and securely, a new “issue-based” democracy promises to bypass the traditional 2-party system and begin to “filter for commonality.”

However, the creation of a new public institution for civic engagement is not something that can or should be left to chance. The same forces that have already corrupted much of our democratic process will eventually understand the importance of this historic moment as well, and will likely attempt to shape the opportunity into one dedicated to quarterly profits, instead of one dedicated to empowering citizens. That is the risk of inaction at this important moment in history.

The Virtual Country strategy, completely nonpartisan by design, is about collective self-examination and self-discovery on a national and even international scale. It identifies an historic opportunity to update the software of our democracy in a way that re-invites “We the People” to take our rightful place at the table of self-governance. Successfully implemented, it will transform politics as we know it, and will usher in a new era of civic engagement and collective achievement, of which our Founding Fathers could have only dreamed.

These and many other important considerations are presented in detail by author Richard Lang. Richard has devoted more than 20 years to developing both the strategy and related technology needed to provide a powerful collective voice to We the People. Virtual Country is both a manifesto and a thoughtful blueprint for supporting the evolution of democracy at the beginning of the 21st century.

PRAISE FOR VIRTUAL COUNTRY:

Virtual Country offers a bold, inspiring, and doable vision for our democracy... a stunning piece of work, and beautifully written.
—John Steiner, Co-founder: The Bridge Alliance

Offering the actual methodology for designing change, as well as the tools to support it, Virtual Country is not just a roadmap, but a functional manifesto for a radical non-violent revolution.
—Barbara Fields, Executive Director, Association For Global New Thought

Virtual Country...offers hope and a path forward, at a time when both are in short supply, and I would encourage anyone to invest the minimal amount of time required to read the book cover-to-cover. They won’t be disappointed.
—Marc Genty, Sr. System Engineer, National Center for Atmospheric Research

A blueprint for an issue-based, advisory voting system, which transcends the traditional allegiances of a two-party system, and allows every voice to be heard. Now, more than ever, an innovation like this is critical.
—Peter Russell, author of The Global Brain and Waking Up In Time

Richard Lang is a pioneer in the technology industry. He is founding CEO of Go-Video, co-inventor of the world’s first dual-deck VCR, founding CEO of Burst.com, and inventor of “burst technology,” which helped enable true video-on-demand. He is also the founding CEO of Democrasoft - developer of online, collective decision-making tools. Richard has been a guest on MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan Show, and was featured by Good Magazine as a key influencer of “Future Learning.” He was a presenter at the World Cultural Forum in Hangzhou, China, speaking about online collaboration strategies. In his spare time, he writes music and practices Tai Chi.