The Documentary “The Internet’s Boy: The Story Of Aaron Swartz” and Interest Groups

In the development process of capitalism, the social structure has become increasingly complex. In addition to political parties that are part of democracy, various social segments are organized around common economic interests, or ideas and goals, and put pressure on the authority to take political decisions in their direction. These groups, whose organization types can vary such as unions, associations, professional chambers, companies, and cooperatives are called pressure or interest groups. Their aim is not to seize political power, but to influence the policy to be followed by giving direction to politics. Money, common or mutual interests, and organizing can be used as methods of affecting the political process.

The state is an organized institution that acts in line with its ideology. The state, which holds the political power, will not hesitate to use the pressure devices it possesses and the power of its authority in any situation that threatens itself or its interests. Aaron Swartz is a potential danger to the capitalist state with its worldview. All he wants is to make the world better.  While struggling for this alone, he is unaware that capitalism will be crushed between the gear wheels. The documentary tells that common people such as Swartz can also join the common denominator and affect the political process. Common people, as well as people with money and power, can organize and form a pressure group. I think the key point here is “organization” and “ideology”. Even organization is the only thing that those who have no capital at all will do.

Aaron is bothered by many troubles in capitalist functioning. Considering that public access should be provided to the public space, Aaron first subtracts paid case files and then academic articles from the monopoly of for-profit companies and presents them to the public. He does not want the information and books to be left to the monopoly of a company. Swartz puts his head in trouble for playing with someone’s interest. The state wants Swartz to become a case that needs to be exempted from others. What the state does, in this case, is to apply legal sanctions to specific political ideologies using a deterrence technique selectively, which is against the fundamental principles of democracy.

One way for pressure groups to convey their demands is through their ideology. If pressure groups and the state can unite around a common or mutual interest, there is no need to struggle to fulfill their demands. Creating public opinion is another method used to influence politics. The main technique used for this is propaganda through the press and broadcasting. Hacker actions were carried out everywhere during the process of Aaron Swartz and some websites supported this. However, organizations that are against the dominant capitalist order are often suppressed by the state.

The state gives Aaron two options for this lawsuit: either he will accept his crimes and stay away from the computer, or he will be punished for 35 years. This is the way the authority says, “either fit the system or bear the consequences.” In the documentary, there is a young boy, not a businessman with power or money across the state. However, in the eyes of the state, the boy is no different from an enemy behind the fog screen called “ideology”.

Each social group can become a pressure group in certain situations, such as the emergence of a problem that concerns its assets and interests. People who come together for a common interest or view become a pressure group only when they engage in a systematic influence on political decision centers. For this, it is possible to cooperate based on economic interests; methods such as action, demonstration marches, protest rallies, strikes, boycotts, and contact closures can also be used. In the documentary, an audience led by Aaron Swartz is involved in the cancellation of the bill SOPA.

Finally, pressure groups are indispensable elements of a pluralistic social structure, especially for those who adopt liberal and social democratic ideologies. Pressure groups will continue to have a direct or indirect influence on the political decision-making process.