[1457389]

I don't have a real answer yet, searching desperately though. Have to admit that I prefer what is going on now to the aristocratic and theocratic systems we had before in much of the world. The worst tyrants are the ideologues, and it seems that now the crooks have taken over instead. Anyway, nothing is going to change unless popular anger becomes a force to be reckoned with. The NSA is or will be a major obstacle to civilians organizing on a large scale and for that reason alone it must be opposed. People talk about getting better voter participation but really I think we need people in the streets, not the booths.

[atoningunifex]

People in the streets... would be met with brutality and force I would think. The Occupy Wall Street folks didn't fare so well. That is my issue; there's a large body of people getting fed information, that preclude what you suggest.

[atoningunifex]

I can't see an answer either, that doesn't include some form of 'global awareness' (Julian May's Unity perhaps). That is what is depressing to me; the hegemony is complete, and the means left at our disposal to stop it, are gone.

[1457389]

Yeah, looks like the only real way involves being co-opted in turn. Seems like that's what ended up happening to Obama.

[atoningunifex]

It does, but its a shit outcome. I was hoping you'd come out with a spring of hope for me :) I honestly see no good way out of this mess. Call me pessimistic, defeatist or whatever, but this is a system well sewn up. Getting out of it is impossible, I think, beyond an uprising.

[1457389]

The greatest I hope I have is that the old media establishment becomes replaced in its entirety with a more chaotic, uncontrolled space like the internet. When people finally have access to the truth about what is going on and how it affects them, and grow up with that understanding, we will have a generation that can effect real change on a large scale. Right now unfortunately the cypherpunks and activists simply don't have the backing of the populace.