During the enlightenment, the power of the church was subverted by the newly invented printing press. Translated copies of the bible were widely disseminated such that ordinary people could now have direct access to their spiritual authority, rather than via the church.
The internet is having a similar effect that the printing press had, except now it is not just the spiritual aspect of our lives that we control, but increasingly we’re seeing that there is no reason we take control of our governance as well.
