7 ms·

Did you write to your MP? Did you meet with them? These things only get fixed when people speak up. I met with my MP over the weaponization of autonomous sys

Did you write to your MP? Did you meet with them? These things only get fixed when people speak up. I met with my MP over the weaponization of autonomous systems. I've put a ton of work into understanding where all this is headed. I spoke up[0] at the hearing on electoral reform about the cybersecurity risks of computerized elections, but I'm only one man. I've been able to get some things through, like pressuring the Liberal Government to put up more resources[1] but political will lags public outcry. If you want something changed you can't just complain online in your little bubble. [0] I was one of only two people that spoke up about it and it was added to the final report. The world is changeable. What it takes is showing up and pushing hard. [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/budget-billion-cyber-security-1.4547685 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/budget-billion-cyber-securi...

the_unknown 8y ago
Good question though obviously asked assuming the opportunity to judge and belittle judging by the "...you can't just complain online in your little bubble." I actually did and ended up with a purely political answer blaming the difficulty of regulation and consumer-beware-ism. Even though in this particular case there really is no opportunity to beware - its either go with the banks that are all part of this or live on a commune singing about flowers -- and it is way too cold here in the winter for that!
- 3pt14159 8y ago
  I regret how I phrased it. Thank you for writing to your MP; you are part of a very small minority and I appreciate your effort. Consider the comment only aimed at those that don't take action.
  - plankers 8y ago
    What about the folks who are tired of taking action and being ignored or written off by their representatives? What about the folks who called their representative's office only to be greeted by a full voicemail box? What about the concerned citizens with no formal degree who have little chance of being taken seriously in this time- and attention-starved age?
    - 3pt14159 8y ago
      I don't know which country you live in, but at least in Canada, I've generally found my political representation responsive to thoughtful communique. If you live in the US, see my response to this person: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17945691 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17945691
- slavik81 8y ago
  What action did you ask them to take? I find this situation to be quite upsetting, but I don't know how to fix it.
  - jameskegel 8y ago
    Crises precipitate change
coolaliasbro 8y ago
What it takes is having the means to show up, etc. Most people are not in the financial position to pursue such actions.
- mycall 8y ago
  United groups find ways easier.
hanniabu 8y ago
I get that there's some things where you need to make sure your voice is heard, but I mean c'mon. There's some things like this where the government should just take initiative on because it's that obvious.
- 3pt14159 8y ago
  Most politicians are lawyers or community organizers. They don't understand technology. Think about some aspect of the world you don't understand, like crop fertilization or NASA probes. That is how ill-defined the world of tech is to the majority of our policy makers.
  - PakG1 8y ago
    I guess I'm curious how to make them familiar with such topics. When my dad got cancer, he researched to become an expert on all things cancer as much as he could. When I started getting chronic pain in my hip, I started learning about how to strengthen it and about various physical therapies. When I feel unsafe about the food I eat, you bet your darn ass that I'll research agricultural methods and food supply chains. What makes someone like Erin Brockovich change to become Erin Brockovich, and how do we get more people like her? If cybersecurity issues that are big news (to differ from physical security issues) don't get people moving to understand the issues, what will? Maybe people just get the politicians they deserve and never the politicians they need. :(
    - germinalphrase 8y ago
      There at any number of potential problems a politician may be called on to propose solutions for. We can’t expect them to be experts in each and every one. Right now, the “best” advice they get is probably from those who care the most, i.e. those who have a financial stake in the outcome. Politicians need better topic advisors that represent their average constituent.
      - salawat 8y ago
        We ALL have a financial stake in the outcome. Furthermore, there are things far more valuable and costly at stake. Like Liberty. Freedom. Justice. You know, those things? Reducing the equation of politics down to mere financial stakeholders is how you get to the position the United States is in in the first place. I get that we all like to laugh about those quaint ideals, but it truly SHOULD be the first thing on a politicians mind. Also, EVERY Congressman has the option of retaining researchers who have the job of becoming experts on every topic imaginable. Never mind access to one of the most extensive libraries known to man. Expertise is easier to come by than you seem to think. A Congressman being spoonfed information by lobbyists without having his/her own staff doing some digging and USING their powers to subpoena is a Congressman in sore need of replacing. Nevermind that we don't bother enforcing statutes that make it a felony to lie before Congress.
xevb3k 8y ago
We should be able to trust our elected officials to do the right thing. And if we can’t, we need to fix our democratic systems so we can. It’s not sustainable for a population to continually apply political pressure on each and every issue. Particularly to lobby against well funded opponents. The result of a system where we can’t trust elected officals is going to be a failing system. Voters will understand they’re being screwed but won’t understand the issues. So they’re end up voting for someone offering simple solutions, like Trump.
- Aeolun 8y ago
  Isn’t the whole point of electing them that they will vote as we would have voted? At least, I think that’s how it was described in my classes...
  - ams6110 8y ago
    Not exactly. We (should) elect people whose positions and intellect we respect, essentially delegating decision-making responsibility to them. Not that they will make the same decisions we would make in every case, that's just impossible to expect and not what leadership is about.
TallGuyShort 8y ago
"Write your representative" is the standard response in the US too, and I'm honestly done with it. I've written many, many letters to senators. I've placed phone calls. I've donated to candidates I support. I've taken a day off work to attend what was supposed to be a town hall but that ended up just being propaganda and thinly veiled hints at donating to related election campaigns, with so little time for public comment that I never got a word in. And yet I've only ever received token replies and seen zero change. No one I ever really wanted to vote in to a major seat has won. And Congress really can't see what's wrong with the Equifax breach on their own? Fuck all of them. I've given up on our political system maintaining much more than panem et circenses.
- prolikewh0a 8y ago
  You're not alone friend.
  - ianai 8y ago
    Which is why I say we need a modern voting system. One vote for one person to one candidate creates this pro/anti party system. There are other options to consider, but of course the incumbents would fight it tooth and nail.
- 3pt14159 8y ago
  I deeply understand your frustration. It takes a lot of work even here in Canada to get political will to take proactive action. It's only harder in the US. You guys have ten times the people per representative which means political victory is governed by opinion polling and, unfortunately, monied advertising. Citizens United made it ten times worse. From my vantage point in Toronto, it looks like action towards fixing the political system is the top priority right now. So many things are wrong that it's hard to figure out where to even start. There will be a breaking point though. As demographics continue to change if the GOP continues to win despite losing the popular vote I can see some sort of general protest or riot forming.
  - TallGuyShort 8y ago

the_unknown 8y ago

Good question though obviously asked assuming the opportunity to judge and belittle judging by the "...you can't just complain online in your little bubble." I actually did and ended up with a purely political answer blaming the difficulty of regulation and consumer-beware-ism. Even though in this particular case there really is no opportunity to beware - its either go with the banks that are all part of this or live on a commune singing about flowers -- and it is way too cold here in the winter for that!

3pt14159 8y ago
I regret how I phrased it. Thank you for writing to your MP; you are part of a very small minority and I appreciate your effort. Consider the comment only aimed at those that don't take action.
- plankers 8y ago
  What about the folks who are tired of taking action and being ignored or written off by their representatives? What about the folks who called their representative's office only to be greeted by a full voicemail box? What about the concerned citizens with no formal degree who have little chance of being taken seriously in this time- and attention-starved age?
  - 3pt14159 8y ago
    I don't know which country you live in, but at least in Canada, I've generally found my political representation responsive to thoughtful communique. If you live in the US, see my response to this person: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17945691 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17945691
slavik81 8y ago
What action did you ask them to take? I find this situation to be quite upsetting, but I don't know how to fix it.
- jameskegel 8y ago
  Crises precipitate change

coolaliasbro 8y ago

What it takes is having the means to show up, etc. Most people are not in the financial position to pursue such actions.

mycall 8y ago
United groups find ways easier.

hanniabu 8y ago

I get that there's some things where you need to make sure your voice is heard, but I mean c'mon. There's some things like this where the government should just take initiative on because it's that obvious.

3pt14159 8y ago
Most politicians are lawyers or community organizers. They don't understand technology. Think about some aspect of the world you don't understand, like crop fertilization or NASA probes. That is how ill-defined the world of tech is to the majority of our policy makers.
- PakG1 8y ago
  I guess I'm curious how to make them familiar with such topics. When my dad got cancer, he researched to become an expert on all things cancer as much as he could. When I started getting chronic pain in my hip, I started learning about how to strengthen it and about various physical therapies. When I feel unsafe about the food I eat, you bet your darn ass that I'll research agricultural methods and food supply chains. What makes someone like Erin Brockovich change to become Erin Brockovich, and how do we get more people like her? If cybersecurity issues that are big news (to differ from physical security issues) don't get people moving to understand the issues, what will? Maybe people just get the politicians they deserve and never the politicians they need. :(
  - germinalphrase 8y ago
    There at any number of potential problems a politician may be called on to propose solutions for. We can’t expect them to be experts in each and every one. Right now, the “best” advice they get is probably from those who care the most, i.e. those who have a financial stake in the outcome. Politicians need better topic advisors that represent their average constituent.
    - salawat 8y ago
      We ALL have a financial stake in the outcome. Furthermore, there are things far more valuable and costly at stake. Like Liberty. Freedom. Justice. You know, those things? Reducing the equation of politics down to mere financial stakeholders is how you get to the position the United States is in in the first place. I get that we all like to laugh about those quaint ideals, but it truly SHOULD be the first thing on a politicians mind. Also, EVERY Congressman has the option of retaining researchers who have the job of becoming experts on every topic imaginable. Never mind access to one of the most extensive libraries known to man. Expertise is easier to come by than you seem to think. A Congressman being spoonfed information by lobbyists without having his/her own staff doing some digging and USING their powers to subpoena is a Congressman in sore need of replacing. Nevermind that we don't bother enforcing statutes that make it a felony to lie before Congress.

xevb3k 8y ago

We should be able to trust our elected officials to do the right thing. And if we can’t, we need to fix our democratic systems so we can. It’s not sustainable for a population to continually apply political pressure on each and every issue. Particularly to lobby against well funded opponents. The result of a system where we can’t trust elected officals is going to be a failing system. Voters will understand they’re being screwed but won’t understand the issues. So they’re end up voting for someone offering simple solutions, like Trump.

Aeolun 8y ago
Isn’t the whole point of electing them that they will vote as we would have voted? At least, I think that’s how it was described in my classes...
- ams6110 8y ago
  Not exactly. We (should) elect people whose positions and intellect we respect, essentially delegating decision-making responsibility to them. Not that they will make the same decisions we would make in every case, that's just impossible to expect and not what leadership is about.

TallGuyShort 8y ago

"Write your representative" is the standard response in the US too, and I'm honestly done with it. I've written many, many letters to senators. I've placed phone calls. I've donated to candidates I support. I've taken a day off work to attend what was supposed to be a town hall but that ended up just being propaganda and thinly veiled hints at donating to related election campaigns, with so little time for public comment that I never got a word in. And yet I've only ever received token replies and seen zero change. No one I ever really wanted to vote in to a major seat has won. And Congress really can't see what's wrong with the Equifax breach on their own? Fuck all of them. I've given up on our political system maintaining much more than panem et circenses.

prolikewh0a 8y ago
You're not alone friend.
- ianai 8y ago
  Which is why I say we need a modern voting system. One vote for one person to one candidate creates this pro/anti party system. There are other options to consider, but of course the incumbents would fight it tooth and nail.
3pt14159 8y ago
I deeply understand your frustration. It takes a lot of work even here in Canada to get political will to take proactive action. It's only harder in the US. You guys have ten times the people per representative which means political victory is governed by opinion polling and, unfortunately, monied advertising. Citizens United made it ten times worse. From my vantage point in Toronto, it looks like action towards fixing the political system is the top priority right now. So many things are wrong that it's hard to figure out where to even start. There will be a breaking point though. As demographics continue to change if the GOP continues to win despite losing the popular vote I can see some sort of general protest or riot forming.
- TallGuyShort 8y ago