4 ms·

Hmm. No. That's called a "revolution".

randallsquared 18y ago
I'm not sure I'd call that "viable", either. The vast majority of revolutions do not accomplish their goals, even if you only count the revolutions that succeeded in overthrowing an existing regime. The US War for Independence is remarkable in large part because it actually worked and the result was more freedom (for a while), rather than less.
- turkishrevenge 18y ago
  So what is to be done? Tolerate a degenerate system of government? How can you elect officials to represent the people, when the very men and women that run for office have absolutely nothing in common with the average citizen? According to your position, maybe our founding fathers should have been more cautious.
  - brianmckenzie 18y ago
    The founding fathers didn't have anything in common with the average citizen either - if anything, they were relatively more wealthy than politicians today.
    - gaius 18y ago
      Which demonstrates that wealth isn't the problem per se.
  - randallsquared 18y ago
    "So what is to be done?" I don't know. It's possible for someone to be almost completely free now, if they have enough money and are familiar with the tools required (crypto, etc). My hope is that increasing technology will prove too disruptive for government as we know it to continue to be effective at protecting its local monopolies, but it doesn't seem like a sure thing, and with higher tech comes higher numbers of existential threats (biowarfare, etc).
- rbanffy 18y ago
  The cynicist in me would like to point out that pretty most every revolution accomplishes their leaders´ goals. Pretty few of them have the same goals the leaders stated before the crowds that helped them with the revolution. Revolutions are not a very safe solution. Quite the contrary.
tocomment 18y ago
Is there anything simpler? I often wonder what if all the activists, Reddit/Digg readers etc, focused on a single issue at a time, collectively phoned and wrote 1000's of elected officials every day. Would that effect some change? Is there any way to channel of the internet peoples' energy into a single goal?
- jmtulloss 18y ago
  Obama is running on internet money. The internet might determine the next leader of the free world.

I'm not sure I'd call that "viable", either. The vast majority of revolutions do not accomplish their goals, even if you only count the revolutions that succeeded in overthrowing an existing regime. The US War for Independence is remarkable in large part because it actually worked and the result was more freedom (for a while), rather than less.

turkishrevenge 18y ago
So what is to be done? Tolerate a degenerate system of government? How can you elect officials to represent the people, when the very men and women that run for office have absolutely nothing in common with the average citizen? According to your position, maybe our founding fathers should have been more cautious.
- brianmckenzie 18y ago
  The founding fathers didn't have anything in common with the average citizen either - if anything, they were relatively more wealthy than politicians today.
  - gaius 18y ago
    Which demonstrates that wealth isn't the problem per se.
- randallsquared 18y ago
  "So what is to be done?" I don't know. It's possible for someone to be almost completely free now, if they have enough money and are familiar with the tools required (crypto, etc). My hope is that increasing technology will prove too disruptive for government as we know it to continue to be effective at protecting its local monopolies, but it doesn't seem like a sure thing, and with higher tech comes higher numbers of existential threats (biowarfare, etc).
rbanffy 18y ago
The cynicist in me would like to point out that pretty most every revolution accomplishes their leaders´ goals. Pretty few of them have the same goals the leaders stated before the crowds that helped them with the revolution. Revolutions are not a very safe solution. Quite the contrary.

tocomment 18y ago

Is there anything simpler? I often wonder what if all the activists, Reddit/Digg readers etc, focused on a single issue at a time, collectively phoned and wrote 1000's of elected officials every day. Would that effect some change? Is there any way to channel of the internet peoples' energy into a single goal?

jmtulloss 18y ago
Obama is running on internet money. The internet might determine the next leader of the free world.