Re:Is the Internet to Blame for the Rise of Authoritarianism?
by myrryr on Sunday December 09, 2018 @05:39PM
(#18643766)
Crazy amounts of authoritarianism happened in Russia, China, Germany and the US, pre internet.
It went badly in all those places, but there have been a couple of generations and people need to relearn the same lessions.
I don't think the 'net was responsible then, and I don't think it is now. It's a thing which happens when we forget how bad it was.
McCarthy didn't need a home PC.
Transactions that would formerly happen with cash now happen with digital payments and if the payment processor doesn't like something it is cut off.
Communication that would formerly happen in person now happen on the internet and if the forums don't like something it's cut off.
The article concerns itself with internet enabling irl authoritarianism. But a much bigger problem is that free behavior in irl is being displaced by tightly controlled behavior on the internet.
I know many people that have as a policy to only discuss controversial issues face to face. If face to face disappears, then where does that leave us?