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by ZirconCode 4815 days ago
Technology just magnifies the power of a person, so in saying that you would rather have no technology, are you not also implying that people who's incentives you dislike, already have more power in the world than the rest?

Technology doesn't cause these problems, it magnifies them.
3 comments
lmm 4815 days ago
Pragmatically speaking, technology causes new problems. You might say it's already a problem that there exist crazy people who want to destroy the world, but really this is not a substantial issue nor one that is tractable to solve. So if there were a piece of new technology that meant that everyone had the power to destroy the world, that would for practical purposes be a new problem.

There is an established, reasonable position (e.g. Watchmen) that it is bad to increase the power of individuals, because when large power can only be wielded by large societies this limits the damage it can do, compared to the same power in the hands of a single individual.

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eru 4815 days ago
Technology makes certain kinds of oppression (and means of gaining and keeping power) easier or possible at all, and makes certain other kinds harder or impossible.

Technology does more than simple magnification.

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ZirconCode 4815 days ago
Both sides are present though, it's a pretty balanced arms race. Technology also helps people gain freedom, you can't simply look at one side of a sword, and say it has one edge. Many of the protests in Egypt were planned through social networks, and things like TOR can't be ignored either.

North Korea on the other hand, manages perfectly well to oppress it's people without technology. Imagine what would happen if those people had an internet connection.

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hp50g 4815 days ago
It's definitely not balanced. It's a cat and mouse game with temporary advantages on both sides.

However, all advantages are lost the moment someone legislates always in favor of the rulers which is what happened in the UK. Now we're tied and gagged with permanent threat of imprisonment for having an opinion (this has happened a LOT recently).

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zobzu 4815 days ago
this. and we're acting as if those things couldn't happen anymore, that its a thing of the past - but its happening right now and we aint stopping it.
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hp50g 4815 days ago
You are correct.

I'd say magnify is the wrong term. It empowers people who have disingenuous motives.

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