The federal bank had produced web pages where the positive aspects of the bill were illustrated. They were also provided with an Email address to be used as a bridge carrying the public’s remarks. That was not a novel idea put into practice. All federal departments in the United States have applied the same means of communication for every bill due to be passed in the Congress. However, what they normally get are few letters usually sent by specialists. “The important issue in the case of the “Get acquainted with client” bill, was that the bulk of these letters was different from what we had known till then”, Mr. Stephanos Katsanos, spokesman for the Federal Bank has reported. “They had come right from the people’s heart.”

Of course, the way the neo-liberal organizations worked, included the traditional media as well, which activated a great number of people against a bill that was thought to be a direct intervention in the citizens’ private lives. Advertisements in the Press, newspaper articles, radio-talk shows made up the first line of fire against the bill. They encouraged the citizens to send messages to the conventional and electronic addresses of the Federal Bank. They also advised them not to be insultingly aggressive, but to send messages with substantiated remarks.

Then it was the turn of the Email to follow. “The whole thing worked in the form of an Email chain”, Bill Winter, spokesman for the neo-liberals said. “The protest acquired the pace of a geometric progression. Electronic MAIL may immensely affect national politics. It certainly works, provided it is appropriately handled and is related to issues the public’s interest is focused on.”

By Pashos Mandravelis.

email to P. Mandravelis