Mitch Ratcliffe reffed a great term the other day: interpassivity. (He got it from Slavoj Žižek.) Interpassive is a perfect inversion of the participation and engagement we look for in the media and politics.

Political participation in the UK is limited to quinquennial voting or simply spectating on the political process. Engagement means cheerleading for this weedy participation.

We often speak of learning by doing, but where do we learn about democracy? Where are the democratic laboratories devolving decision-making?

The traditional convervative response to increasing participation has been to shrink government and encourage citizenship through family and non-state activity.

Does law-making need to remain a devolved activity, left to representatives? Are people interested in politics as a leisure pursuit?

What prompted these questions to return to haunt me? When Robin Hamman bookmarked a quote from a BBC Message Board.

I see you’re closing the Questions, Questions message board temporarily while the radio show is off air. Be frank it almost never provided any questions for the show, and if people have any questions it’s easy enough for them to email them in.

The same commenter continued:

I’ve stopped worrying whether anyone is listening any more, I have my say, feel “a bit” better, and forget about it. Eventually I’ll probably stop even bothering doing that, and let the Beeb go to hell in a handcart.

The triumph of interpassivity.