I was only seven when
The world wide web was born
Helped nurture it as it did me
Though sometimes both were torn
Now controversy jostles next
To videos of pets
And governments are waking up
To cybercrime and sexts
They talk of regulation, laws
Protecting those who surf
Such optimism gives me pause
For who can claim this turf?
How would you try to regulate
Where speech is truly free
Outside the firewalls of nations’
Charted territory
They want to sell, or tax, exploit
The assets they don’t own
Regain the power to deny
Dissent has reached them, grown
A massive haul, this data mine
To use for good and ill
Through monetising yours and mine
They hope to profit. Still
While youth retains advantage here
Technology will grow
Though moralists may phish to smear
They will not stop the show
Katherine Shirley 
but that’s just it. Perhaps the modern Western world does need a few moralists dwelling on the net. Morality in its current state is, after all, quite wayward, myriad and without any definite aim – but it does have excellent musical affectation to enhance that waywardness. Just witness one of those wonderful Apple/Cohenesque ads! Now that’s what I’d call some kinda mood enhancement.
Oh, I’m certainly not speaking about the ‘preacher stealing hearts at a traveling show’ kinda moralist. No, we’ve had plenty of them before and we’ve all seen where that caravan leads. Of course, we’ve also had those political-ideological fellows take their turn; and well, I’m quite sure no one desires gulagic labor camps as the answer. Human Nature is a little more mysterious and unpredictable than Marx and his master Hegel would have us learn by paragraphical rote.
Are the poets the answer here? Like their brother the illustrious painter, they can capture by uplifting in the imagination that quiet sorrowful lostness; but then, don’t look to them for any concrete solutions. – Did not ol’ Bernie Mandeville sting us with a fable about that some time ago?
Maybe, we need to review once more the question that mustachio German fellow once asked. Sure, Freddy N. was a contradictory unoriginal dullish thinker, and true, he wasnt the first to pose it – Dostoevsky before him and that brilliant little Dane before Fydor. Anyhow, can one have a Judeo-Christian society without Judeo-Christianity? Of course, this is all silly nonsense by me. I mean, would I really be so ludicrous as to ask the world to use ‘thought’ when, as everyone knows, the world is about ‘mood’ now? ‘Thought’? That’s so 19th century! That’s more ridiculous than challenging the notion that the Victorian era might not be so repressive after all.
Now Ms. Shirley, do not take me seriously. I’m only a foolish single individual. Its a very cold and snowy Sunday afternoon here in ‘New’ England. And I rather enjoyed spending some down-time reading your latest outputs. They’re excellent you know, -unlike my comments. Keep up your talent. Its quite thought provoking even for us foolish fellows.
Such an enjoyable poem, about a frustrating subject.
All kinds of brilliance here, Miss Katherine.
Thank you, Myke.