Cyber Oppression

I have always felt very strongly that technology can serve as a tool of oppression or a tool of liberation.  Perhaps when we have made enough progress in our struggle I will change the name of the site to cyberliberation instead of cyberoppression.

I wanted to take this opportunity to create a quick overview of how those of strong character and good hearts must work to prevent the totalitarian nightmare that technology might lead to, and how to instead work towards creating a better future for our children.

1. Law — we need to send enlightened students to law schools all over the world, and lots of them.  We need to reach out to lawyers that are already out there on both sides of the issue, particularly lawyers on the wrong side, and campaign to open their eyes to how they are destroying the future for their children.  We need to use the political processes of grass-roots political action to raise awareness of technology-freedom issues, and we need to fight the various corporate and totalitarian influences any way possible.
2. Technology — we must also reach out to engineers and scientists, not just in America but all over the world.  We need to support free software and progressive software licensing.  We need to work on the technological side to bypass DRM, bypass filtering, bypass wiretapping, bypass spying.   We need to turn the corporate totalitarian ideas of control on their head: instead of the corporations and governments using databases and other technologies to monitor us, WE must use those technologies to monitor THEM.  We need to keep track of who they are, what they are doing, when, how, and why. We must work towards the “opening” of all designs. This effort also needs to reach into other technologies as well, not just electronics. The same strategies must be applied to biotechnology and nanotechnology.
3. Economics — we must support progressive companies, and develop more progressive business models. We need to patronize musicians that sell directly to the consumer.  We need to patronize software companies that develop GPL’ed software.  We need to reward companies that do the right thing.  We also need to put Microsoft, Cisco, and every single MPAA or RIAA member company out of business.  We need to organize boycotts.
4. Norms — we must also reach out to the public, and make sure they are aware of all of these issues.  We need to hold protests, send letters, and hold rallies.  We need to reach out to the school systems and make sure that corporate propoganda does not make it to students’ ears.

If we do all of this, we have a chance at a future where everyone in the world has absolutely guaranteed human rights and civil liberties.  We have a chance at a world where the slightest hint of oppression is met instantly by an overwhelming power of people doing good.  We have a chance at a world where everyone has free access to a world-class education, access to study at Harvard or Cambridge or anyplace else.  Access to teachers, mentors, books.  Access to communications.