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That knowledge is already available and generally people don’t build bombs or bioweapons. Otherwise they could still go to university and learn all that if they
by anon48293 14d ago
That knowledge is already available and generally people don’t build bombs or bioweapons. Otherwise they could still go to university and learn all that if they so wish
- latexr 14d agoIt is available, and searching for it is a good way to end up on a list. It is hilarious how you gave “go to university” as an option, as if all universities were accessible to anyone and taught classes on this. I also couldn’t help but notice you completely glossed over the much more important point of misinformation for manipulation.
- mitxela 14d agoAlmost everyone is on many lists. Has it helped?
- berkes 14d agoMisinformation is unfortunately also available. And contrary to "information to build bombs and bioweapons", it's doing actual harm. To societies, economies and above all, to individuals.
- iamnothere 14d agoSocieties don’t have the right to decide what is and isn’t false information and prevent people from accessing or spreading it. (They think they do, and that’s a problem.) Fighting misinformation has to happen through establishing and maintaining trust, and providing trusted counters to misinformation. Establishing trust requires alignment with the people you want to trust you. Interference (as opposed to participation) in the free flow of information and the process by which truth is determined is a great evil.
- account42 12d agoThe greatest harmful misinformation at all is that the government should be the arbiter of truth. The purpose of a democratic government is to reflect the will of the people, not the other way around.
- the_gipsy 14d agoOk but what about "being directly interfered with by foreign actors"? This is what's happening right now in Spain. Foreign interference (Ceuta, Dept. Of Homeland evidence...), followed up by foreign social media manipulation campaigns. Currently, it looks like these campaigns will replace the current government. This is a direct threat to democracy.
- iamnothere 14d agoIs it a threat to democracy if citizens gather facts from foreign actors when their domestic government attempts to suppress those facts? On a general level, not speaking to this situation in particular. Just curious.
- the_gipsy 13d agoWeird way to frame this argument as a question. The domestic government holding a monopoly on information is a threat, and foreign information can be a relief, yes. Foreign misinformation is also a threat, and domestic government shutting it out can also be a relief. So you have to ask yourself, where are we? Is Spain (or any European country that is not currently bootlicking, for that matter) a dictatorship that needs Freedom messages in a bottle from the USA, or is the USA directly subverting their democracies with espionage? Why did the USA give millions to Morocco earlier this summer? Why did the Dept. of Homeland (so espionage) produce decade old evidence of corruption in a former administration that would be linked to the current one, at this precise time? Just asking questions here.
- iamnothere 13d agoAll nations are under pressure to hide information from their citizens, whether it’s for covering up political scandals or suppressing political opposition. If you give them the tools, they will eventually use them. So you can’t give them the tools. The democratic way to fight misinformation is with public trust, a well educated population, and by publishing true information to counter misinformation. Anything less treats citizens as children who can’t be trusted to form their own opinions.