This speech from last December’s 29C3 (29th Chaos Communication Congress) is worth listening to. He talks about what we can do in the face of oppressive power on the Internet. I’m not sure his answers are right, but am glad to hear someone talking about the real problems.
Vles • February 15, 2013 2:30 PM
@advanced persistent regret
Have you not read his essay Power And The Internet?
Philip • February 15, 2013 11:12 PM
He doesn’t seem to site many sources for his content.
Tom • February 16, 2013 8:37 PM
Philip,
It’s a keynote address at a hacker convention.
Which statements in particular do you disagree with, and why?
Zek • February 20, 2013 12:49 AM
Cite, not site. Though perhaps as to cite a source is most often to point to a site, maybe I should get off this horse.
Julien Couvreur • February 24, 2013 1:08 AM
I would have summarized his talk differently. It is about the oppressive power of government, not the oppressive power of the internet.
In particular, he brings up the important ethical point that ends don’t justify the means. As such, there is no good use of bad means, regardless of good intentions in some cases.
Also, he bring up the moral question of resistance to government and the costs that it carries.
What surprises me is that he ends his talk with some words of support for democracy. It seems that he has not yet gone through to the end in thinking about the nature and validity of political authority and political means.
He should read Michael Huemer’s latest book (The Problem of Political Authority) or Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Democracy, the Gold that Failed).
A few more steps remain ahead for his reaching the conclusion of peaceful and civil voluntaryism 😉
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Sidebar photo of Bruce Schneier by Joe MacInnis.
advanced persistent regret • February 15, 2013 2:12 PM
what motivates this expression of doubt towards his answers, and what answers would you suggest?