The historic defeat of the House Majority Leader in a primary race goes to show that government officials can be incredibly unaware of what is going on at a popular level.
Or at least that is the story we are being told.
What is clear, though, is that the government wants to know everything about us. It is in their selfish interests not only to hold on to power, but to convince us that we want them to. Thus, it is inevitable that for a totalitarian government to hold on to power, it must control access to the truth. Fifty years ago, that meant government control of the newspapers, radio, and television.
No more.
Now, in order to suppress unfavorable news, the government will have to control the internet. All search engines must be kept from leading users to unfavorable sites--and must let the government know who is searching for them. The government must be able to read blogs like this one, and know who is writing them. The government must be able to read all subversive emails, and know who is sending them.
Right now, all of this is already possible--it just isn't being openly practiced. If we are ever to be kept under the thumb of a totalitarian regime, that will have to change.
And you had better believe that right now, heads are being put together to figure out just how to pull that off.
I give it five years.
ReplyDeleteAnd we are supposed to know it is for our own good.
ReplyDeleteGrace and peace