3 ms·

They can start by voting for politicians who will rein in big tech

by jappgar 5mo ago

aduwah 5mo ago
There is no politician who stands against big tech and by extension big money
- coffeefirst 5mo ago
  We are about to test that theory.
- master-lincoln 5mo ago
  not even Bernie Sanders?
  - mythrwy 5mo ago
    probably not
maratc 5mo ago
In the US, the politicians need money to be elected in the first place, and a lot of it. Lots of money comes from the big tech (to both parties), and the big tech won't give money to anyone with a plan to "rein them in."
- jappgar 5mo ago
  They don't need money they just need votes. If money can buy votes then the problem rests with an apathetic and distracted electorate. You change that by giving a fuck and telling everyone you know what you actually think.
  - maratc 5mo ago
    > If money can buy votes It's not that "money can buy votes," but for a given party money can buy facilities (offices, transportation, food, etc.) and people (activists, coordinators, etc.) and that can bring (not buy) votes. Printing one "Rodriguez 2027" sign and putting that on your front lawn can be done for free at someone's office; printing ten million of them is a major financial, logistical and organisational undertaking, all of which costs money. Printers, truckers, warehouses, coordinators don't care how many "fucks" you're giving; they just prefer being given dollars to being given "fucks." Maybe you have more ... workable (?) solutions than "let's get everybody to give a fuck and vote in a different way"?
    - jappgar 5mo ago
      That's why political parties were invented, so you don't need to create name recognition for every candidate. Those signs aren't changing anyone's mind. But a party is something people can talk about and understand. It's unifying. Giving a fuck means engaging with party politics and making it part of your day to day life (at least during election season). Signs are the laziest and most inconsequential way of supporting a candidate. By far the best way is to convince everyone that you know in person to vote for a particular candidate.
      - maratc 5mo ago
        In 2016, just 400 American families were the source of 50% of all election money that year. If your "candidate" is going to "rein in big tech," how the hell are they supposed to raise money from them? And if they aren't going to do that, where will that money go? Your views seem to be rather ... idealistic. This TED lecture[0] is only 18 minutes long and it offers rather a chilling perspective on any sensible reform. [0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2z9lV3W1g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2z9lV3W1g
- limflick 5mo ago
  "Citizens United" might be the most ironic name in the history of western democracy.
  - twoodfin 5mo ago
    Do you know what the Citizens United organization wanted to do? Why didn’t they have a right to do it?
  - tardedmeme 5mo ago
    Every evil propaganda corp has a cutesy brand name like that. Names like Voice of the People, or Electoral Freedom Foundation, or Moms for Liberty, or Free America Foundation or First Amendment Recovery Temple (I definitely made that one up, and some of the others).

They can start by voting for politicians who will rein in big tech

by jappgar 5mo ago

They can start by voting for politicians who will rein in big tech

aduwah 5mo ago

There is no politician who stands against big tech and by extension big money

coffeefirst 5mo ago
We are about to test that theory.
master-lincoln 5mo ago
not even Bernie Sanders?
- mythrwy 5mo ago
  probably not

maratc 5mo ago

In the US, the politicians need money to be elected in the first place, and a lot of it. Lots of money comes from the big tech (to both parties), and the big tech won't give money to anyone with a plan to "rein them in."

jappgar 5mo ago
They don't need money they just need votes. If money can buy votes then the problem rests with an apathetic and distracted electorate. You change that by giving a fuck and telling everyone you know what you actually think.
- maratc 5mo ago
  > If money can buy votes It's not that "money can buy votes," but for a given party money can buy facilities (offices, transportation, food, etc.) and people (activists, coordinators, etc.) and that can bring (not buy) votes. Printing one "Rodriguez 2027" sign and putting that on your front lawn can be done for free at someone's office; printing ten million of them is a major financial, logistical and organisational undertaking, all of which costs money. Printers, truckers, warehouses, coordinators don't care how many "fucks" you're giving; they just prefer being given dollars to being given "fucks." Maybe you have more ... workable (?) solutions than "let's get everybody to give a fuck and vote in a different way"?
  - jappgar 5mo ago
    That's why political parties were invented, so you don't need to create name recognition for every candidate. Those signs aren't changing anyone's mind. But a party is something people can talk about and understand. It's unifying. Giving a fuck means engaging with party politics and making it part of your day to day life (at least during election season). Signs are the laziest and most inconsequential way of supporting a candidate. By far the best way is to convince everyone that you know in person to vote for a particular candidate.
    - maratc 5mo ago
      In 2016, just 400 American families were the source of 50% of all election money that year. If your "candidate" is going to "rein in big tech," how the hell are they supposed to raise money from them? And if they aren't going to do that, where will that money go? Your views seem to be rather ... idealistic. This TED lecture[0] is only 18 minutes long and it offers rather a chilling perspective on any sensible reform. [0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2z9lV3W1g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2z9lV3W1g
limflick 5mo ago
"Citizens United" might be the most ironic name in the history of western democracy.
- twoodfin 5mo ago
  Do you know what the Citizens United organization wanted to do? Why didn’t they have a right to do it?
- tardedmeme 5mo ago
  Every evil propaganda corp has a cutesy brand name like that. Names like Voice of the People, or Electoral Freedom Foundation, or Moms for Liberty, or Free America Foundation or First Amendment Recovery Temple (I definitely made that one up, and some of the others).