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by thw0rted 1770 days ago
Your post I originally replied to said

> They've tried to do this for decades and have failed.... Let's see how voters like it.

My "point" is that I thought the same way you did -- look what a mess Clipper Chip was, they always want backdoors but surely a voice of reason will show up, etc -- but something has changed. Couple the vote in the EU with the way the major tech companies reacted to GDPR (you'd be surprised how many sites simply block all of Europe rather than comply) and it's a wakeup call. There is a real chance of the bad guys winning here.
1 comments
studentrob 1770 days ago
My opinion here is that such policies are unenforceable and will therefore blow up in the faces of whoever implements them. Whoever does not will have the people's backing and will pave the way to the future. Of course, none of us can see the future, so we'll just have to wait and see. If I lived in the EU I would make my voice heard about that legislation.
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thw0rted 1770 days ago
Maybe I'm just too jaded but I don't think "making voices heard" matters -- in the link I posted upthread, the overwhelming majority of voters did not want the Chat Control measure to pass, but it did anyway, "for the children". (I can't even do that -- I'm an American living over here, I have no say in politics but am subject to a lot of their rules.)

Maybe we'll get lucky and the next vote will fail, or maybe if it passes there will be providers that refuse to comply. I think if it happens, it's far more likely that most will cave, and a few will just pull the plug and stop offering service.

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studentrob 1770 days ago
> I don't think "making voices heard" matters

Of course it matters. Politicians must listen to voters on topics of import or they're out. If you're arguing against democracy and for some imagined alternative, then I can't help you because that's a worse outcome.

It's true some policies do pass that a lot of people don't want. It's up to the voters to make an issue of that in the next election cycle. As an American living in the EU you can certainly use your voice. That may be as consequential as your vote if you are convincing. Since I do not live there I don't engage in those politics, despite the connectedness of the world. There's enough to deal with on our home turf.

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thw0rted 1770 days ago
I'm not arguing against democracy: it's the worst system except all the other ones. I didn't think much of Brexit, I think they really shafted themselves, but at the same time I get the strong impression that EU governance is hopelessly broken.

I don't have to bring a solution to notice that the system we have is not working. (That's not to say I don't wish I had one, I just don't.)

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