Privacy is needed when revealed confidences have economic impacts. A society could exist where living out loud is accepted and expected. Tolerance: the minimum standard.
Tag: NSA
Popular iconography is "velvet handcuffs". It's that place you don't like or even hate, but the benefits are so good you can't quit. Or, you're so much in debt, you can't "afford" to. Better term: velvet fist. Get outta line and you'll meet the hard side. It'll hammer you back into shape (conformity) if you speak out … Continue reading Capitalism’s velvet fist: job retention
"It's not about anonymity. It's about having a say in how others treat potentially sensitive, even confidential information about our lives, our families, our health, our credit--everything." - Comment on NPR blog This will be hard to swallow. Contention: the need for privacy exists only to the extent your private details can be used to harm you. … Continue reading A case for no privacy whatsoever
Palliatives serve a purpose. Palliative activism works: Activists feel better when they're active. The current global protest known as The Day We Fight Back is drawing activists and their armchair variants by the thousands. Websites, Facebook profiles, blogs across the Internet express solidarity posting banners, display ads and hosting comment threads. The message: urge your … Continue reading Why palliative activism brings comfort, little change
