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The Guardian publishes a lengthy but well constructed essay of Eben Moglen, titled "Privacy under attack: the NSA files revealed new threats to democracy". It is one of the most insightful excursion into why privacy matters, why Snowden cannot be considered a traitor; has well picked examples from history; hints about what the civil society could do (my cynical note: if only it'd be interested) to reclaim privacy back. Granted, takes about an hour to read (and probably a lifetime to filter by first-hand experience: unfortunately not the kind of experience one would wish for).
(I dare not write a digest for SN, the essay is so coherent and round that I'm afraid any omission would damage its discourse. Can't do nothing but recommend it for reading: if you can't do on a working say, save the link for the weekend)
(Score: 1) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Monday June 02 2014, @04:23AM
"Government is 100% a creation of laws. It has no "will" other than what we give it."
"Government is 100% a creation of laws. It has no "will" other than what we give it."
"Government is 100% a creation of laws. It has no "will" other than what we give it."
Keep telling yourself that's true. It's proof that the brainwashing works.
The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.
-- Edward Bernays, Propaganda, 1928
A primer: Century of the Self: Happiness Machines [vimeo.com]
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by Angry Jesus on Monday June 02 2014, @05:48AM
Yes, I am big on resisting that sort of manipulation. But the alternative is to simply acquiesce. We are in the control loop -- the people who apply propaganda to manipulate opinion and the people who say we aren't powerful enough are both forces that take us out of the loop.