[Stormy Fairweather]

Yeah, the whole Wikileaks things is still exploding, now there are cyber attacks from both the establishment and those fighting for freedom of information, and it has further spilled over to targetting financial institutions baking both sides.

Considering the escalation, and the current trends, as well as my own experience with people and the web, this is NOT going to die down. I actually speculate this may be the beginning of the first truly Global War, a war that involves all countries all around the world, a war between those who wish to govern with absolute authority, and the people who wish to live in a reasonable, free and fair society. Sooner or later, the fact that one person or group of people 'governing' another will NEVER be fair is gonna be realized and when it is the entire game will change. It may become a war between military and civilians.

The line has been drawn in the sand, everyone has already chosen a side, even if only a few have chosen to fight so far.

It is time for a revolution people. We are a global society now. Countries and borders are artificial lines with no real meaning to this generation, except for the remnants of the last generations using them to control us. We need to stop prosecuting people for things that are not criminal, like telling the truth, hiring a hooker, drugs or simply not understanding an intentionally incomprehensible tax code. Sure, you may not like hookers (I don't) and you may not like booze (I don't), and you may even like a tax law that lets you feel as though you are getting away with something (I don't), but is it fair? Is it fair to tell someone they cannot do what they wish with their own body? Is it fair to make taxes different for one person than another?

One of the founding fathers of the US said, "To ensure freedom we need to have an armed rebellion every twenty years." It has been two hundred years. During that time we have lost a tremendous amount of freedom one inch, one regulation, one bylaw, one bill, one censor at a time. George Washington would have spent about ten minutes in the DMV before he started cussing enough to put Eminem to shame.

Reason must prevail. And the more information available, the better people can reason. Trying to squelch information is exactly the same thing as squelching reason, and considering that intelligence is our ONLY biological advantage it is exactly like a queen bee telling her workers not to fly or sting.

[Mustang19]

Deep stuff, man.

[achtung]

tl;dr

Sounds like doomer rhetoric.

[General Battuta]

Do we have to do this? Let's talk about FreeSpace!

[peterv]

Yes we have to 

How to Start a Revolution:

http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Revolution

[CommanderDJ]

Do we have to do this? Let's talk about FreeSpace!

This.

[iamzack]

[Dilmah G]

You're either a bit of a troll or a bloke who in my opinion, reads into this a little too much. If you're right, I'll give you a nickel.

Also, have fun being on the FBI's watchlist now.

[StarSlayer]

 

Yeah, how bout you go live in some **** hole where the government barely exists and you can have all the sex, drugs and lawlessness you want.  Do that for a year then come preach about your anarchist utopia, assuming somebody doesn't put a 7.62 in your dome because they want your sneakers.

[Stormy Fairweather]

...

I guess I had given the forum community too much credit based on what the modding community has done to Freespace.

My mistake, I shall seek reasonable discourse elsewhere.

[Turambar]

...

I guess I had given the forum community too much credit based on what the modding community has done to Freespace.

My mistake, I shall seek reasonable discourse elsewhere.

Guess that's the only option, since you certainly aren't bringing any with you.

[The E]

Hey, just because we don't buy into this whole "We must rise up against teh evul guvmint" stuff don't mean we're not intelligent.

Also, please remember that we're an international community. People from non-american countries have somewhat different attitudes about governments and how change can and should be effected.


Also? Calling an entire community stupid? NOT a good move. Consider that a warning from a global moderator.

[Stormy Fairweather]

I was inferring the replies I had were stupid. And with two exceptions, they were. Telling me to go live in a ****hole is hardly addressing or contributing to the topic at hand.

Also, I am not american. Does not invalidate the anologies.

And the stance is that censorship is impossible, but that will not stop certain groups of people from trying to do so is a fashion that will foster tremendous tensions between the governemt (all of them) and the peopel (all of them too). And I was further specualting that the Wikileaks ongoing incident may be the catalyst...

But for replies I got a mule, realty advice, and mistaken for a mythical species.

Edit - Yeah I know, it was a deer. Mule sounded funnier in the list.

[iamzack]

There's already two wikileaks threads open.

Also, everything you said is the same old libertarian rhetoric. Get some new material if you're gonna be all WE NEED REVOLUTION NAO KTHX.

[The E]

Okay.

So here's my stance. As pointed out elseweb, wikileaks (and Julian Assange's) goal is to make the act of conspiring harder by enforcing stricter rules in terms of communication protocols. Will this change the way governments and businesses operate, if it is successful? Yes, certainly.

But will it lead to tensions? Will it lead to violent overthrowing actions, as you have alluded to in your post? I am rather uncertain about that.

What this is is a momentary distraction. In a month or two, wikileaks and the fallout from this leak, will probably have dropped off the news rotation again.

[Stormy Fairweather]

You may be right... this time.

We are in a different world than our governgment realize, it is already digital. And in a digital enviroment information acts very much like a lifeform, spreading whereever it may.

And governments are going to get increasingly desperate to control data, implimenting more and more drastic measures. This is what will cause the tensions I am alluding to.

And iamzack;

[insert silly non relevent image of livestock here]

[NGTM-1R]

I was inferring the replies I had were stupid. And with two exceptions, they were. Telling me to go live in a ****hole is hardly addressing or contributing to the topic at hand.

An intelligent posts deserves an intelligent answer.

That was not an intelligent post.

It made unprovable assertions about the origin of DDoS attacks on Wikileaks (if they're even attacks, I'm perfectly willing to believe they're just not equipped to handle the traffic they generated). It used anecdotal evidence that is not born out by even cursory examination of facts; things on the web never truly die, but they do lose momentum and stagnate, passing from favor.

The concept that anyone would attempt to wage another truly global war is ludicrous. It can't be done now. Europe is in the process of rendering its militaries stagnant, China and Russia can't project power beyond their own borders without the nuclear option. Peace has well and truly broken out. Unless you think PACFLEET is going to turn on LANTFLEET, or something equally retarded, the option just isn't there.

[Stormy Fairweather]

There is a diferenece between an orcestrated event, and one that occurs.

All attempts to control information will be oppressive. This si not anecdotal, this is the only way it can be. And populations will only tolerate so much oppression (sure it is a lot, but finite) before they revolt. This too, is fact.

So, I see there as being two paths before us (with limitless variations of course). Either we actually become free, globally, with thought, speech and information. Or we face increasing oppression as those with power seek to control something that is by nature uncontrollable, the internet.

And if people revolt all around the world it will be global war, with no one at the helm.

No one is suggesting putting together a world war, please at least read what was typed before calling the author stupid.

[StarSlayer]

Okay say you have your global revolution, billions dead, economies in shambles infrastructure destroyed.  Well crap gonna need to rebuild it and that will take taxes, governance and laws.

I'm socially progressive on a myriad of issues, I also have a firm handle on the fact that my government, all governments do things I disagree with and find morally reprehensible.  But I'm pragmatic enough to understand that law and order is what keeps humanities' darker nature in check.  The alternative is where some thirteen year old being interviewed on the news explains how his AK-47 is his most important possession, that it gets him food when he is hungry, medicine when he is sick and sex when he is horny.  A society sans government is not going to end up with free downloadable content, weed and happiness for everyone.

[Dilmah G]

What he said.