[Epa095]

I don't see how it's hypocritical to give democratically elected governments different possibilities that random private companies.

It's government's job to put constraints on companies, stopping them from becoming the absolute assholes they become if they have no limitations. That does not make them authoritarian.

[netizen-936824]

Some people are sad that they can't set up businesses which exploit the populace as easily in the US I guess?

[mediascreen]

Sure. On the other hand you can usually chose which companies to interact with. When it comes to governments the relationship is not optional. Your government usually have more ways to affekt your life than most private companies has (like no fly lists).

A few years ago the true extent of the Swedish program for tracking left wing sympathisers became known. It ran from the sixties up until 1998. For example, if your car was seen outside of a left wing publication you could end up on a list somewhere. That caused you to be automatically excluded from 5-10% of all jobs without you never finding out about it until 20-30 years afterwards. Imagine wanting to become a police officer, a pilot or and engineer and never understanding that the reason you didn't get an interview was because you had parked in the wrong spot one day years before. Or that your sister briefly dated a left wing journalist at some point.

[diordiderot]

I find it funny the right has so much fear that whats happened to the left for generations will begin happening to them.

[rafale]

The tyranny of majority is a real threat. Power should be "shared" (or under contention). Companies just want to take your cash, governments can take your freedom.

[gbear605]

We live in a society with money is inherently connected to the freedoms you have, and companies want to draw you in so that you have to use their product. Basically every job that doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree nowadays requires you to have a cellphone to communicate with them. So if you don’t have a cellphone (so realistically being under the control of Apple or Google) and you don’t have the qualifications to get a college degree, you can’t get a job.