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When will people say enough is enough?
by nxzero 10y ago
When will people say enough is enough?
- partisan 10y agoWhen it is too late? We're still at the phase where people say, "This doesn't impact me", or "I have nothing to hide".
- dredmorbius 10y agoOr David Brin's view that transparency solves everything.
- eye2sky 10y agoThat is not David Brin's point[1]. Brin's point is more that the government will inevitably surveil citizens, and since citizens cannot reasonably prevent it, the best option is to try to level the playing field so that citizens can surveil the government back. In other words, reciprocal transparency is the least bad option. [1] Transparent Society, by David Brin
- dredmorbius 10y agoI discuss this pretty regularly with Brin (on G+). We disagree strongly. His point is that souveillance is the solution. I disagree for the reasons expressed by Bruce Schneier (in his famous exchange with Brin) and Yonatan Zunger (in a comment included on my G+ profile page links). Surveillance amplifies power imbalances. Power and People have different mixes of power and vulnerability. Each exploits its strengths and fears its weaknesses. Transparency doesn't of itself balance those differences though. If anything, it amplifies them. That said, I'm for transparency punching up. Less so punching down absent clear justification -- much as the US founding fathers established in the Bill of Rights.
- eye2sky 10y agoI still think you are mischaracterizing Brin. He does not think transparency "solves everything" or is "the solution". He just believes that reciprocal transparency is the least bad option. If there were a better option, such as complete privacy for all, perhaps Brin would prefer that. But realistically, such is not feasible.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- jrcii 10y agoI've become increasingly convinced that western society will accept anything so long as it's fed, housed, and safe. If that's true, as a society we have a lot of rights that we're not willing to fight for but which the government is highly intent on restricting - an equation for inevitably losing them.