[kwlug-disc] Canada is proposing social media surveillance and censorship

[Chris Frey]

On Fri, Sep 24, 2021 at 04:41:33PM -0400, Mikalai Birukou via kwlug-disc wrote:
> How can you have democracy, especially representative democracy, when voices
> from demos can be silenced? Only in the name?

That's the point.  When no dissent can be heard, it isolates people
and makes them feel more alone.  That means it delays protest, and
it takes more courage for every individual.

If they can segregate and demonize small groups of people, while keeping
the majority content but fearful, then bit by bit, they can increase
their power without the danger of immediate defeat.

For example, how many of us would have unquestioningly accepted the idea
of vaccine passports back in March 2020?  How many of us believed it could
ever happen?  We have fallen a long way in 1.5 years.

But in the long run, oppression strengthens the oppressed and weakens
oppressors.  Every evil dictatorship will fall, eventually.

The process of gaining strength, though, is a hard one, since it involves
letting go of all the comforts and pleasures we have gotten used to
in the past years of plenty and freedom.  But once a man has nothing
to lose, he is formidable.  That's why oppression is self-defeating.

And I am not referring to violence.  Violence is also self-defeating.
I recently re-watched the movie "Gandhi" (1982, Ben Kingsley).  It is
a movie for our times.  I encourage everyone to think on these topics,
because our country is not heading in a good direction.

- Chris