No the power dynamics has shifted. In the old days it is true that everyone pretty much knew lots about each other in a specific locality. But now a relatively

No the power dynamics has shifted. In the old days it is true that everyone pretty much knew lots about each other in a specific locality. But now a relatively small group of people (i.e. the big corps, ISPs and various 3-letter agencies) know everything about everyone in the whole world, more or less. This kind of power is unprecedented in human history.