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A comment on Defeated. Parent comment

Re:Defeated by amirmc on Monday August 26, 2013 @07:05AM (#6276255)
Airports are only a symptom of a wider problem and I see this as running away. Much like when a bear is chasing you, you only have to be faster than those around you. Eventually the bear will chase you again and you'll be the only one left. To make that a little more concrete, you can only keep moving while there are viable places to move to. Sure, that's probably fine for our lifetimes but we're handing on a legacy where we refuse to fight for anything. When these machines and processes are everywhere they become even harder to fight against.

Edit: Also, moving when you have family (partner, kids), becomes even more complex and stressful. It's simply not a viable option for many.

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Re:Defeated by jballanc on Monday August 26, 2013 @09:20AM (#6276820)
I'd like to replace your bear with a pendulum. History has shown that public sentiment towards authoritarianism is cyclical. Certainly Nazi Germany represented an authoritarian regime that was more repressive than the current US government (history will tell how long this remains true...), but that played out. Now Germany has a wonderful framework of laws and regulations to guard personal privacy.

What leaving does is control how far the pendulum swings. Imagine if Fermi hadn't left Italy? Or consider Lise Meitner who didn't leave Germany when everyone else did (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lise_Meitner). In her words, "It was not only stupid but also very wrong that I did not leave at once."

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Re:Defeated by amirmc on Monday August 26, 2013 @12:39PM (#6278104)
> "Now Germany has a wonderful framework of laws and regulations to guard personal privacy."

The part you're conveniently forgetting is at what cost?

Sure, the pendulum may swing back the other way eventually but how many lives are going to be destroyed during these unnecessary oscillations.

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Re:Defeated by r00fus on Monday August 26, 2013 @05:56PM (#6280173)
Reminds me of a Keynes quote: "Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent."

In this case, the pendulum can remain autocratic far longer than your life is worth it - if you feel that fighting is not possible, perhaps the best move is to worry about your own (family's) safety first.

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Re:Defeated by einhverfr on Monday August 26, 2013 @09:23AM (#6276833)
When a bear is chasing you, if it is a black bear (scared of you) you play dead. When a bear is chasing you and it is a grizzley, you stand tall, don't run, yell, and act combative. Otherwise the bear may see you as lunch.

I think that is a great metaphor here. If the government no longer respects the people, then the right approach is to stand tall and say things loudly. If they do then compliance is better.

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