A story in today's Nation Newspaper (unfortunately, I couldn't find the article itself on their website) reports that the Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottley is calling for "popular electronic outlets [like blogs] for citizens to air their views" to have a "framework of accountability".
[The Deputy PM] spoke too, of "blogs"—online postings of individuals' views and comments to which surfers on the Internet can respond—which, because of the technology, could not be regulated.
"[Blogs] will marginalise our existence as parliaments and will cause disrespect, not just for the rule of law, but for the institutions that are required to keep our societies safe," she said.
There is certainly room for much discussion (and, I think, some cause for concern) about Ms. Mottley's remarks and the positions she is expressing. I find her statements especially interesting considering that she is one of the leading lights of a political party that recently took steps to establish their own blog. If nothing else, her comments go to show that, for better or for worse, people in high places are really beginning to take this "blog" thing seriously.
(quotes taken from the article, Regulate call-in shows, says Mottley, by Albert Brandford, in the July 19, 2006 Midweek Nation)