In the Name of Democracy: Poetic Voices

Our Voices for Democracy: As an October 2020 European Commission report emphasizes: "the democratic foundations of our societies are under pressure from the influence that social media has on our political opinions and our behaviors". On the other side of the Atlantic, Sarah Kreps (from Cornell University), in her 'Social Media and International Relations,' observes that the rise of social media is actually undermining democratic regimes, since misinformation spreads faster than accurate information. On the other hand, regulation is difficult -also because social media companies have few incentives to moderate content, being this "at odds with a business model that favors sensational content that attracts and keeps users online." Indeed, the risk of an erosion of democracy is particularly acute when false and misleading information have the potential to set the political agenda and incentivize extremism. This is, sadly, what happened in the United States under the Trump administration -and it is still happening, this first half of 2021, at the behest of the current Republican Party, which is committed to building a "post-truth" in which facts have less influence in shaping the public opinion than emotions and personal beliefs. As poets and citizens of the world, we have therefore decided to testify our commitment to truth, freedom and democracy. This collection of poems is our voice.