linuxluser t1_j33xfr9 wrote on January 5, 2023 at 9:48 PM

Regular people are not sufficiently in control of the new tech that's coming out. The political institutions that promised full democracy have woefully failed to deliver (see COVID safety, climate change, etc). Further, we all know the basic fact that if an endeavor is not profitable, it's taken off of the table as a possibility. As time marches on, more and more needs are unmet due to their inherent unprofitability.

I'm not a pessimistic person either but I can at least understand where this is coming from: a sense of powerlessness and the inability to enact changes over society to address this.

In short, the new tech isn't democratically owned or controlled in any way because private companies are mini tyrannies controlled by a dictator (CEO). Watching Musk and others waste $billions for no reason all while your friends and family work harder and smarter than he does and still can't make enough money, pessimism is expected.

The only alternative to pessimism I can see would be revolution/violence. Not sure most people are into that ... yet.

css2165 t1_j342hom wrote on January 5, 2023 at 10:19 PM

What political institutions promised ‘full democracy’? And what does that even mean? If you’re in US we are not a direct democracy as know and we never will be nor are designed to be.

linuxluser t1_j34ckzs wrote on January 5, 2023 at 11:24 PM

>What political institutions promised ‘full democracy’?

I mean democracy that actually represents people, vs one that represents business in the majority of cases. Politicians have the job of pretending this isn't the case while also ensuring that this non-representation continues.

>If you’re in US we are not a direct democracy as know and we never will be nor are designed to be.

Direct or indirect isn't the issue I'm referring to. That's an implementation detail. I'm talking about who gets represented vs who really doesn't. I claim that most politics isn't about improving the lives of individuals so much as it is about trying to ensure markets are always ticking up or there's access to resources, etc.