Is revolution coming?

Originally Posted by Arainach

We've just about crossed the point of no return - the level of technological surveillance we've got makes it nearly impossible to organize any sort of revolution without getting found out and stopped. There's still encryption (providing the NSA hasn't found some way of factoring large primes, which is a serious question give that they hire essentially all of the world's top mathematicians), but even that may not be enough.

I'm not an expert in any of this. At all. But watching our generation (you, me, people here, people on the internet) constantly create some kind of ruckus in reality or even on the internet, I have faith that the "revolution," if ever there were to be one, would start here.

I firmly believe that the technology that the authorities have will never supersede the capabilities people of the younger generation have. Maybe I'm an optimist (or idealist) here, but it seems when one of us are knocked down, there are five more to stand up and take that place.

We have more resources, more motivation, and less red tape to deal with. And more and more people are coming to our side of the fence. The government(s) could never keep up, if you ask me.

Regarding a revolution, like most people here, I don't buy the whole violent revolution thing. But I DO see a trend starting. People aren't happy. People are getting fucked out there, and they're getting kind of sick of it. I think politics as usual won't cause them to settle. I think more and more people are growing tired of the bullshit.

I'm not sure what will come of things, but like I said, I feel the internet will be the birthplace of the new revolution, if it should come upon us.

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Originally Posted by Arainach

While the Internet is faster and of wider reach, it's also much easier to monitor, censor, and shut down.

While I can't claim to be an "expert", I'm about 2 classes (plus a semester of electives) away from a Bachelor's in Computer Science with a minor in Criminal Justice and a specialization in Security. I've interviewed with the NSA, and read up on their habits for a while. Quite frankly, even their capabilities that we're aware of terrify me, and it's literally just the tip of the iceberg - for every power we know they have, they have 9 more powerful ones that we don't.

If they ever perceived anything as a threat, they'd likely DDOS all the servers and core leaders, call the ISPs to have the connections permanently severed, and send in the troops - and long before anything ever got to court it would have fallen apart. To be honest, while I don't see the government as needing civilian overthrowing, the very real possibility that it could get to the point where such a thing is impossible does scare me.

This may insanely naive of me, but what kind of "threats" would they consider? I mean, there are ways around it, I guess, but still, I'm thinking that we're protected by free speech and the right to congregate aren't we?

I mean, provided we're not threatening to actually HARM anyone?

It's just really disheartening to think that the people who founded a government on which we were able to revolt when we weren't happy with the way things are going COULDN'T actually revolt because it is suddenly considered criminal.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Arainach

Well technically it was considered criminal when they did it in 1776 too.

That was before the Constitution gave us the rights officially, isn't it? (1787? I suck at American history, I'm sorry if I am wrong)

Besides. If a bunch of people (I'm talking even 20% of the nation, however idealistic that number is) commit these "crimes," what they hell are they going to do? EXECUTE us all? Throw us into already over-populated prisons? There wouldn't be much they COULD do if people went apeshit.

Of course, I suppose that'd have to be ORGANIZED somewhere.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Radez29

Sass,
So yeah, treason's kind of still against the law.

O, sure. I don't argue that at all.

But what about my right to free speech? The right to assembly?

At what point is the treason card pulled? When you start TALKING about revolution?

I wonder what a lawyer would say.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Nehmi

I'm sure they've got that covered pretty well.

Wouldn't all that require some kind of insane amounts of executive orders?

Not to mention that the government seems so incredibly disorganized to me. I suppose if the government was actually at risk, they could move a lot more efficiently to take care of business, but even the events of 9/11 in a couple of hours span seemed so CONFUSED. But that's a whole new can of worms.

I guess I'm just really confused on the whole idea of a new American Revolution. I don't see any kind of violent upheaval in the near future at all, but you never know.

I was speaking idiomatically.