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How to defeat Big Brother- In 2013, we learned the terrifying scope of modern surveillance. Now it's time to fight back (salon.com)

submitted ago by dariascarrot

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[–]Wardenclyffe1917 26 points27 points ago

Decentralization is the key to the destruction of the panopticon. Decentralized currency like bitcoin takes power away from the banks. Decentralized manufacturing like 3D printing takes power away from huge corporations. Decentralized energy like solar takes power away from energy conglomerates.

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." -R. Buckminster Fuller

[–]Natanael_L 2 points3 points ago

And decentralized email like Bote mail in I2P. And most of the rest of I2P too. No need to trust servers.

[–]oelsen 0 points1 point ago

Same as above: those networks (tor, i2p, cjd-ns, freenet to a lesser degree) need to abandon the central DHT. Then it is almost perfect.

[–]Natanael_L 0 points1 point ago

Central DHT? Only Tor relies on directory servers. The rest are serverless as in they don't need central nodes of any kind.

[–]oelsen 1 point2 points ago

Bitcoin is distributed, not decentralized. Difference: if BTC would be decentralized, there would be several blockchains.
Also, most "decentralized" power genration does not work without the grid.
There is a long way to go.

[–]Natanael_L 0 points1 point ago

It is a decentralized network, but a central protocol and state (blockchain).

[–]fivepines 28 points29 points ago

In spite of all the revelations about everybody spying on us and tracking every aspect of our lives, most of the people I encounter are completely and utterly indifferent. It seems to have absolutely no impact at all.

[–]lightcloud5 8 points9 points ago

Although some people are utterly indifferent, it doesn't mean we have to be.

I'd encourage anyone who cares about this issue to take some action, however minor it may be, to address this issue. For instance, at a minimum, participate in elections (go and vote), keep up to date on current events (today, a judge's ruling on the NSA phone surveillance made front news), and/or support organizations that are fighting to stop this (like the EFF and ACLU).

[–]commentator12 4 points5 points ago

People are scared to be singled out by big brother. I'm sure a lot of people scrutinize everything before posting on the internet and speak in hushed tones about private things.

[–]I2obiN 13 points14 points ago

People don't give a shit because we have it too easy these days.

We are by a majority lulled into a sense of security by Xfactor and iPhone 5s to give a shit.

The wrong type of person is being elevated in society to a state of admiration. A person of great ideals and high intellect is no longer lauded as they once were.

It's all about charisma. Obama is a good example of this.. promises change yet his country has committed two horrendous crimes of international significance under his leadership.

The first being the elimination of Osama Bin Laden. While the man was atrocious.. he was simply assassinated. Americans walked into another country, killed someone and walked out. No consent given, no solid proof other than their word that they killed the man.

Then it turns out their NSA are spying on numerous targets throughout the world.

Hitler's mistake was trying to take the world's freedom all in one massive push.

The US are doing it like a pro, quietly taking away one freedom at a time by making the outrageous seem like the norm.

We're fucked.. plain and simply. The fact that the major powers can slip past us WMDs, international scale spying, economic collapse, turning the police force into an out of touch gestapo.

Have we ever gotten a decent answer for any of this shit? Not really. Would we get one if we demanded it from them? Nope. What if we shouted really loud and protested? Nope. What if we started shooting at them? Definitely not.

So we're fucked.. unless they start doing something that would prompt violence against them, all power to the dollar.

[–]ECgopher 2 points3 points ago

The first being the elimination of Osama Bin Laden. While the man was atrocious.. he was simply assassinated. Americans walked into another country, killed someone and walked out. No consent given, no solid proof other than their word that they killed the man.

I'm big on civil liberties and perfectly ok with this. Commit an act of war and you become a target for assassination

[–]oelsen -1 points0 points ago

Where did he personally? And do black OPs count too? Where does the chain of command end? Who to send to Den Haag?

[–]WTFppl 0 points1 point ago

"C.R.E.A.M., get the money!"

[–]19332867342009327462 3 points4 points ago

Let's be fair here. Probably at least 90% of people consistently whining about the NSA and jerking off Snowden have never done anything more than that and hitting up arrows to actually make a difference. I think that's a charitable estimate that gives these Snowden circlejerkers the benefit of the doubt too.

The issue is important, but there is absolutely no way that vast VAST majority of the people who incessantly bitch about it have ever done anything at all about it and ever plan to, and THAT is the real problem. People care, just not enough to go out of there way to change anything.

[–]TheePumpkinSpice 2 points3 points ago

I agree. We should join and- oh look cat pictures! BRB!

[–]tyranid1337 4 points5 points ago

Well, it's pretty much been common knowledge that every modern country with political weight is spying on everybody it can, including its own citizens, for years. Nothing really new happened. People didn't mind too much before and the only reason people do now is it's the new cool thing on reddit.

[–]freedaemons 9 points10 points ago

The consequences aren't immediately visible, so nobody's going to give it the attention it deserves. It's like climate change in that sense.

[–]notsurewhatdayitis 2 points3 points ago

Given its been going on since the end of WW2 I'm quite sure consequences would've been obvious by now.

[–]uuhson 2 points3 points ago

I'm really confused by the people in this thread. panicking as if they're days away from being put into a slave labor camp, yet they're still sitting on their computers.

I'm personally pretty apathetic about all of this, but jesus if you're that fanatical about this go do something about it

[–]zangorn 4 points5 points ago

For every one of us commenting here, there could be two who are throwing their computers into a lake based on this topic and you'd never know it.

[–]twistedLucidity 0 points1 point ago

People are outraged enough to bleat, but won't actually do anything. They want their politicians to do it for them. These are the people who cause the problem in the first place!

Such a shame the "Freedom Box" hasn't appeared yet.

[–]SEAlifeguard 10 points11 points ago

Start here: https://prism-break.org

But keep in mind security is a process, not an end state.

[–]IamDarylDixonAMA 4 points5 points ago

General strike.

[–]bricolagefantasy -1 points0 points ago

you are on the list now, pal. /heh

[–]GhostShirt 3 points4 points ago

That's an interesting article on modern surveillance, posted on a website using Google Analytics, advertisement tracking, and social networking tracking APIs.

Andrew Leonard seems to have missed the irony of his screed.

[–]acidus1 17 points18 points ago

Were going to stop Kony.

[–]ChefCutiecat 0 points1 point ago

No more blood for oil, too!

[–]antiname 10 points11 points ago

Now it's time to fight back

With what, an internet petition?

[–]uuhson 4 points5 points ago

I wonder if the people in this thread realize what % of americans are even thinking about this, let alone caring

[–]IndoctrinatedCow 2 points3 points ago

And what % of Americans actually vote every year?

You don't need every single American on your side to change our government. Not every American thinks about gay marriage but the walls around that are falling every day.

It doesn't matter what other people do or think, I'm not going to sit back and let this continue without raising my voice and using my democratic right to say this is not okay. I won't put my hands in the air and say it's helpless.

Congress came within, what, 17 votes of canceling the phone collection program. A judge has already stated that NSA spying is likely unconstitutional. The USA freedom act has something like 112 co-sponsors on both sides R and D. The NSA review board has proposed the need for real reforms to president Obama. There is a lot of progress in the fight against the surveillance state.

I'm doing my part in this, writing letters, emails and making phone calls to my representatives. I even met with one of my congressmen in person to ask for his support against surveillance.

We have a real chance at stopping this if the people here that do care raise their voice against it.

In case you've forgotten, we as an internet community stopped SOPA, a law that was almost guaranteed to pass before we spoke up. What percent of Americans actually cared about SOPA? Our voices are powerful. We live in a democracy but sometimes we give up our right to have a say in government and then we lose by default.

I want a future for both me and my children that is better than the past. We should always be working towards being better than we were in the past. I will not sit idly by and let this happen and hope you won't either.

[–]uuhson 0 points1 point ago

In case you've forgotten, we as an internet community stopped SOPA, a law that was almost guaranteed to pass before we spoke up

I didn't forget, just don't think that's true

[–]IndoctrinatedCow 0 points1 point ago

If it wasn't us, then who stopped it? Google? Sure they might've helped raise awareness, but it was us that stopped it. Even if you are convinced it was Google or some big tech company that stopped it you forget that they are also working against internet surveillance and have spoken with other tech executives directly to the president.

Watch Aaron Swartz's "how we stopped SOPA" speech at the freedom to connect conference if you want more details on how SOPA was stopped by us.

[–]sisko7 2 points3 points ago

Just as many Chinese care about their oppressive regime. Barely any. Both are nations of brainwashed sheep.

[–]19332867342009327462 -2 points-1 points ago

Up arrows and whining and circlejerking on Reddit.

[–]notsurewhatdayitis 3 points4 points ago

With a sprinkling of "Likes" on Moronbook.

[–]TurboSaxophonic 1 point2 points ago

If by "fight back", you mean "get in line and lube up for the inevitable, vigorous humping from our own dear leaders that we're too indifferent and too late to escape from", then yes it is indeed time.

No point in fighting it. No one else is gonna get up to fight, and there's no way to get everyone off of their asses, short of every Wal-Mart and every McDonalds shutting down at the same time in protest. Might as well just sit down and eat your cheeseburgers like everyone else, it'll be just as helpful.

[–]Upvote_AllTheShit 0 points1 point ago

puts helmet on

Keyboard warriors, assemble!

[–]goodguyeh 0 points1 point ago

Fight back? No. I prefer to get fat and weak on processed foods my government says is ok to eat. I'd rather be stupid and not go beyond the system's education. I'd rather blame CEOs for making more money than me, I'd rather blame government for everything and not vote.

I'm a typical brainwashed idiot.

[–]bnelo12 -1 points0 points ago

I hope you all know that this article is very ironic. Claiming you live in a mass police and surveillance state, while censorship of rebellious articles doesn't exist.

[–]Sweatsyrup -5 points-4 points ago

logical statement

ur not a lib lol get downronned skrub

[–]abhijit301293 -1 points0 points ago

Nice try NSA.

[–]19332867342009327462 -2 points-1 points ago

And Reddit will fight back by complaining and pounding up arrows. Nothing more.

[–]ZorseHunter -2 points-1 points ago

tl;dr

[–]saiphkappa -3 points-2 points ago

With billions of people on the planet, the chance that you are a target, while not being a politician or someone important, is very low - I think this is the reason why most people do not care (albeit I do not see myself included in that group). Of course they have sophisticated data mining algorithms and all of that, but, come on, nowadays kids write terms like bomb or explosion more often than a Fleet Admiral or terrorist would do. Another reason is that, unlike the Orwell's novel, this surveillance is not made to control us or constraint/limit our behavior/freedom, at least in a direct way.

[–]gotimas -4 points-3 points ago

NO ONE REALLY GIVES A SHIT

[–]sisko7 -3 points-2 points ago

NO SHEEP REALLY GIVES A SHIT

ftfy

[–]gotimas -1 points0 points ago

ahhah

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

    [–]19332867342009327462 -2 points-1 points ago

    You need a crash course in apostrophes.