I apologize if you see this more then once. With the advancement of technology we went from biological and chemical warfare to a insane nuclear arms race. With enough weapons to blow up the world many times over perhaps someone realized that this is something which needs only to occur once for the world to become no more. We are still caught in the middle of an arms race however the battle wears a disguise, appearing to be less lethal to the public’s eyes compared to the idea of being caught in the middle of a nuclear holocaust. Welcome to the age of information. Wouldn’t people in positions of unchecked power find ways to profit from abusing their power? Since it is certain that some people will abuse their power if they think they can get away with it, somewhere along the line information and people are going to get exploited. When politics are involved corruption surely will follow. You cannot stop the occurrence of something if you don’t know about it. How easy it is to manipulate people into handing over their civil liberties. Remember, you are not giving up liberties because anything that is being done against you is all being done in the name of national security. “Move along people, move along, there is nothing to see here.” The foundation upon which the current political and economical system is built upon is beginning to wobble. Sooner or later it’s bound to collapse because a weak foundation can only stand for so long. History repeats itself because people don’t learn the first time around. If we repeat the mistakes of previous eras we are bound to end up following their footprints. If things were bad before, they are probably worse now because over the years the technology has advanced and mistakes made in today’s world may carry greater long terms consequences then they once have. Knowledge is power. If you are a thinking person you are a threat to the corrupted who want you to accept everything presented word for word without questioning the validity of the content. If you don’t think for yourself someone else is going to think for you. Does this idea make any sense? Discuss.
Dunno if this thread belongs in the Science and Technology forum. Your message is kind of cliche anyway. While I still believe we should hold governments and corporations responsible for their practices, I'm not a huge fan of the "us vs. them" mentality. I think things are a bit more complex than that. Is this point you are making related to information on the Internet? If so, then sure, it is undoubtedly being used for political gain. But there are just as many sources of subversive information online. Blogs are great because they can't be censored (unless you live in China). The internet is a great technological asset for all parties - business, government, interest groups and the individual. It allows people to transcend the limitations of time and distance. I believe there is no other space for the kind of free speech necessary in this day and age. The frustrating thing about our generation is that we have an abundance of information about corporate/government corruption and exploitative practices but fail to even discuss the powers that be. People don't choose to learn. The internet is just so large that it is easy to become distracted. Just check this forum - compare the number of posts in the philosophy or science & technology forums against the sex and random thoughts forum. Generally, people don't want to be challenged. Maybe there is just TOO much information spreading and mundane dialogue going on. But these are just generalisations. Check out the number of people on the RevLeft forum or the number of people who read AlterNet. They all believe the same rhetoric as you do. Counterculture still exists. It has just been localised in virtual space. Anyway, my rant was probably just as cliche'd as yours.
I’m not writing so that I produce a novelty, but rather because I want my life back. I’m not referring to the vast amount of information available on the internet. The internet is definitely a great tool through which one could access information on anything. Unfortunately I’m talking about things such as directed energy weapons and other “non lethal” weapons. People question whether or not directed energy weapons exist, however I live in a state where they are banned. For someone to ban the use of something, it has to exist. I agree with you that the “us versus them” mentality is not a good mentality to follow. Things definitely are more complicated then that. Some people are targeted by perpetrators while most of the population is not involved. Targeted individual experience first hand what’s going on, some know about the complexity of this nature while others don’t realize they are targeted. Unfortunately while targeted individuals experience this first hand, the rest of the population probably is indirectly affected one way or another, assuming of course that people could be targeted in the first place. What stops a person in a position of unchecked power from abusing it? If people can be used simply as means to other’s ends bad things are bound to happen. Are you surprised that the number of posts in the sex and random thoughts threads far exceeds the posts in both the philosophy thread as well as this one? Your right, people don’t like to be told that their view of thinking is not the only possible correct option available. Some people don’t like anything which might make them think because they may be afraid of a possible headache? While thinking may be difficult for some, if individuals do not think for themselves, someone else would gladly wish to do the thinking for them. Stay strong. Make a good day
