A Strange Stain in the Sky: How Silicon Valley Is Preparing A Coup Against Democracy (allr.cat)
from crossdl@leminal.space to technology@lemmy.world on 11 Apr 19:36
https://leminal.space/post/18111936

The first, and also the most futuristic techno-utopian one, is the colonisation of Mars. Elon Musk founded Space X in 2002 (Peter Thiel was the first outside investor) with the idea of re-founding humanity. It’s all there: the call to save humanity by turning it into a multi-planetary species, the desire to start from scratch without the legal constraints of Earth, and the will to break with the established order. As you can read, half-hidden, on the terms and conditions page of the Starlink service owned by Space X:

The parties recognize Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities.

#technology

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flango@lemmy.eco.br on 11 Apr 20:16 next collapse

with the idea of re-founding humanity

the desire to start from scratch without the legal constraints of Earth

What they are doing is playing the old book of the nazis

SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 11 Apr 20:51 next collapse

I bet they loved Iron Sky.

peoplebeproblems@midwest.social on 12 Apr 00:25 next collapse

But the Nazis didn’t actually have anywhere they thought they could go.

If these Nazis actually think they can get to Mars and start over, I’m all for it. They can take as many supplies as they want too, no questions asked. I wish Musk and the Nazis with him the best.

I don’t know what they expect when they get there, let alone how they expect to survive getting there, but that’s not my problem.

mosiacmango@lemm.ee on 12 Apr 01:14 next collapse

They build a mars base, we build a rail gun.

Works for me.

peoplebeproblems@midwest.social on 12 Apr 18:12 collapse

TBH they’ll all die of cancer before they ever finish that base.

metaldream@sopuli.xyz on 12 Apr 15:43 collapse

This could really come back to bite us in the ass when their fascist descendants start a war and end up controlling the ring gates.

SatanicWalnut@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 12 Apr 19:40 next collapse

MEIN FUHRER, I CAN WALK

BeNotAfraid@lemmy.ca on 16 Apr 02:49 collapse

Hyper diffusion, the rejection of intellectualism, the great race of the Atlantians. Come to rear its ugly head again.

TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee on 11 Apr 21:25 next collapse

Sweet. Build the ship, cram all the nazi aristocrats in, and bon voyage. Let us know how “re-founding of humanity” goes.

sbv@sh.itjust.works on 11 Apr 22:35 next collapse

They aren’t gonna leave until it’s untenable here.

MNByChoice@midwest.social on 12 Apr 00:01 next collapse

I bet they would drop something on us on the way out too. An asteroid or similar.

sbv@sh.itjust.works on 12 Apr 00:34 collapse

That’d track

gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de on 13 Apr 06:48 collapse

They aren’t gonna leave until it’s untenable here for them.

Which, btw, i’m not sure about it. If you’re a company and only thinking about profits, you don’t care whether the old mine is maximally exploited. Even if it is still profitable, you’d rather change to a new mine because it’s more profitable.

MrAlternateTape@lemm.ee on 14 Apr 11:35 collapse

Oh no, they will not go until a proper base is built. You don’t expect them to actually do any physical work now do you? First get the slaves in, built a nice cozy home for the rich, and then, when the world has all the comforts they need they will move over.

django@discuss.tchncs.de on 11 Apr 22:13 next collapse

I hope they leave soon.

gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de on 13 Apr 06:48 collapse

can’t wait for the day, tbh

grue@lemmy.world on 11 Apr 22:45 next collapse

Musk is literally a fucking Bond villain (specifically, the guy from Moonraker).

Teal@lemm.ee on 12 Apr 13:45 collapse

Sir Hugo Drax.

peoplebeproblems@midwest.social on 12 Apr 00:22 next collapse

I really hope they take as many people as they can. Really.

And I hope they all take the most efficient path to Mars, rather than the fastest. And I hope they send them all in a very short time period, and Musk never bothers to read anything about the hazard of traveling in space outside of our magnetosphere.

StJohnMcCrae@slrpnk.net on 12 Apr 00:26 next collapse

Yeah what you said - fire him out of a cannon.

[deleted] on 12 Apr 01:43 collapse

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gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de on 13 Apr 06:52 collapse

I really don’t like to be the “well acktschually” guy but the major constraint for a mars settlement is the availability of water. mars is inhabitable (with the help of technology ofc) wherever there is water, probably it in the form of ice underground. Various research missions are currently mapping that out. Here’s a map from around 2000:

<img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Water_equivalent_hydrogen_abundance_in_the_lower_latitudes_of_Mars_01.jpg/1599px-Water_equivalent_hydrogen_abundance_in_the_lower_latitudes_of_Mars_01.jpg?20130724044144">

<img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Water_equivalent_hydrogen_abundance_in_the_high_latitudes_of_Mars.jpg">

blind3rdeye@lemm.ee on 13 Apr 11:54 collapse

Have you read A City On Mars? It has quite a detailed look at many of the challenges. You’ve pointed to some research relevant to the possible availability of water - which is great, but I think it would be better to say “a major constraint” rather than “the major constraint.”

tenchiken@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 12 Apr 00:24 next collapse

Executive order establishing the next deportations going to a new Martian “enrichment center” in 3… 2… 1…

Given their inclinations, I suspect alt-speak for slavery to be the next contestant on “What’s hot” on Xitter

BeNotAfraid@lemmy.ca on 12 Apr 01:44 next collapse

The plan is to confine those of us on Earth to a slave class, working to tirelessly fund their “idealised utopia” in their technostate cities while they commit total ecocide by strip-mining our entire planet, polluting all of our air, water and land. While we are locked away complacent with only their generative AI to bring us comfort through our neuralink brain implants. You will own nothing, every thought you have will be monitored, every idea, memory, dream, feeling, will be what you are permitted to have. This is what AI is for. Smart Technology was always supposed to make you stupid. Google Maps, so you can’t find your way out of a paper bag without it. Autocorrect so you can’t spell anymore. Spotify at max volume has made an entire generation hard of hearing without them even realising. Addicted to screens, unable to resist reading the next piece of political propaganda. Social Media and smartphones are how the Billionaire class has tricked the entire world into spying on itself for them. Do you remember Joe Rogan talking about how cool it’ll be when technology gets in your body? How no one will want it, “until you’re flying around shooting lasers out of your eyes.”? Do you remember the Cambridge Analytica leaks showing that Facebook pushed the lies and propaganda that resulted in Brexit? Google have everything you have ever logged into a search bar. They have every phone number you’ve ever owned, every photo, from every account you’ve ever had across every one of their platforms. The acceleration of climate change is completely because of Amazon.com’s effect on the global supply chain. 2 Factor authentication does not exist to protect you from hackers. It is so your phone number is always linking you personally, to every account you have.

Did you notice after COVID how every bank machine became a smart device that runs android? One with cameras on both sides? What about how clock in machines became android tablets and they take your picture when you clock in and out. Why do they need to take your picture? Smart watches record your biometric data and send it to Apple, or Google. You can’t talk on your handset in the car but every new vehicle comes with a giant screen in the centre console that runs either IOS/Android. Every new security camera is a wifi camera which runs android. Why does a CCTV camera need to have an internet connection. Every checkout machine runs android, records your grocery list and records you, while it takes your picture and your card information. The phones are always listening always recording. Google have just bought the data from Europe, by paying the fines. That’s why they went after Germany and had Mers elected. They want to dismantle any and all privacy protections left. But why? Curtis Yarvin, mentor to JD Vance and Close personal friend of Peter Thiel already wrote about his desire to “Virtualise non-productive people as a humane alternative to genocide.” That is what they want for the rest of us, to die dehydrated and starving while we live out the rest of our lives virtually, through generative AI. My friend you don’t want them to get to Mars, AI exists to spy on everything you do and to silence dissent. So they can easily search the gargantuan database they have collected on all of humanity by saying “Hey Gemini/Grok/DuckAI/Leo/Copilot etc. Is anyone out there expressing dissatisfaction with the regime?”

Maybe I’m just being silly. I mean, it’s not like they have the exact co-ordinates of every man-made above ground structure in the world. Oh wait, that’s Google Earth. By the way, did you know Google developed none of these technologies? They made their money selling your information to advertisers then purchased every emerging innovative company they could, rebranded it as Google and added spyware. All of the far-right groups that emerged after COVID are funded by Big Tech and they all have the same names. America First, Britain First, Ireland First, Francais Premier. There are no removeds coming for your kids , there are no dangerous, mentally-ill migrants eating cats and dogs. But they repeat that message over and over, whilst ensuring immigration remains high. The REAL reason everything is so expensive. Why we can’t afford housing, or food. The thing that is driving inflation is all because of wealth inequality. If I purchase from Amazon.ca from a canadian retailer. Canada sees no tax. Because, for the purposes of that transaction Amazon is in Sweden. Any transaction to Meta and countries see no tax, because for that purpose Meta are in Ireland. These companies collect money across every denomination from every country on Earth and they pay NO TAX. None of it returns to circulation. This forces the central banks of every nation to print more money which drives up inflation. Creating Further poverty, homelessness and enslaving us to their propaganda. This is why Elon Musk said a “Single World Governme

crossdl@leminal.space on 12 Apr 02:09 next collapse

Or, if you decide you MUST use corporate social media, put it behind a secure web browser and isolate your use to only social media.

I can’t be sure it works 100%. I can just hope Brave and Google have competing interests for me.

But best to stop patronizing those platforms as best you can.

What if anything do you do to try to mitigate it?

BeNotAfraid@lemmy.ca on 12 Apr 03:48 collapse

Linux laptop, personal vpn configured using OpenVPN and the unending drive for revenge. For the lifetime that was facsimiled and stolen from me through manufactured consent.

crossdl@leminal.space on 12 Apr 23:00 collapse

Hell yeah, comrade!

Atmoro@lemmy.world on 12 Apr 07:41 next collapse

Would love to know what you think of iodeOS, & BraxOS (Brax 3 Phone)

You got spot on on the head

BeNotAfraid@lemmy.ca on 16 Apr 03:17 collapse

I don’t have a smart device atm. I axed mine when I realised what was happening. I’m hoping to get one of Purism’s devices soon. Moreso, I would love to fundraise (charity Livestream, podcast with promotional advertising, video series etc.) to fund Ubuntu Touch and PostmarketOS to get them proliferated across more devices. The folks who do the Linux After Dark Podcast, one of them I know took over the Ubuntu Touch project from Canonical. It would be awesome to put together a project to raise some awareness of the situation we find ourselves in and some money to take the power away from Big Tech.

The Privacy Guy seems like a decent dude, if one of them were functional across a broader range of devices, he might put it on some of his de-googled phones.

Atmoro@lemmy.world on 12 Apr 07:53 collapse

The biggest answer to all this is to unite:

Uniting in getting people onto better alternatives for platforms/apps/websites:

Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, Fedora Workstation

iodeOS, & BraxOS

Bluesky, & Mastodon

Voyager for Lemmy

PeerTube

Flashes

Spark

Revolt Matrix via Element app FUTO Apps

Fossify Apps

Proton Apps OpenVPN CCTV Cameras sold that actually value privacy Linux on TV’s/Phones (PostmarketOS)/Cars/tablets too Etc etc etc etc etc.

Supporting any and all real projects that uplift humanity. Open-Source Community-Made Software and Hardware, Unionized-Cooperatives, Credit Unions, etc etc etc. Always building towards better and never anything less than that

And much more:

Uniting in getting other people onto best practices to be better off online and in-person

Uniting in getting them on much better news sources

Uniting in getting them to take action, & collaborate together consistently in large and small groups with different groups focused on different issues. Everyone is flip flopping between problems too much. We need focused groups on each problem

Uniting locally, statewide, nationally, & internationally. We are all stronger together. We must all treat each other as true allies, & actually build out in every way we can. Having a couple focused groups per issue will help so much

(Also please add some line breaks to your paragraphs)

P.S. Is there any way I can collaborate with you?

[deleted] on 12 Apr 20:23 next collapse

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skaffi@infosec.pub on 14 Apr 12:27 collapse

?

[deleted] on 14 Apr 14:08 collapse

.

BeNotAfraid@lemmy.ca on 16 Apr 03:20 collapse

DM’d you

prinzmegahertz@lemm.ee on 12 Apr 07:13 next collapse

It‘s Bioshock, they just want to build rapture on mars instead of under the ocean.

BeNotAfraid@lemmy.ca on 16 Apr 03:16 collapse

So, it’s system shock

Formfiller@lemmy.world on 12 Apr 07:52 next collapse

Please let’s just send them all to mars on one of musk’s space x rockets and be done with this. Godspeed assholes

AcidicBasicGlitch@lemm.ee on 12 Apr 21:16 next collapse

Omg so just go to Mars and leave us all the fuck alone.

These bros are so goddamn stupid, and I wouldn’t even care except they’re going to kill us all in their delusional dumbass pursuit of a technocratic AI powered utopia.

And they’re all so fucking miserable even if they succeed they will just wind up all alone in their robotic powered biodomes wondering wtf the point of existence is bc nobody is left to stroke their dumb fucking egos.

LanguageIsCool@lemmy.world on 12 Apr 21:33 next collapse

Seriously. It’s like… let’s just give these guys a TV show where they can live their fantasies without any of it affecting us

sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz on 13 Apr 05:23 collapse

I barely have two nickels to rub together, but I would donate them if it would get these fuckheads to Mars.

gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de on 13 Apr 06:40 collapse

I think it’s also about economic factors … the first spaceflight programs in the 60s were a huge boost to the economy, both by creating jobs and inspiring a generation of engineers. they hope that mars settlement would have similar effects, maybe on a larger scale, depending on the size of the project. which very much fits into Trump’s narrative to “bring back manufacturing to the US”.

sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz on 13 Apr 06:51 collapse

Any big dump of money (Manhattan Project, Space Race, Arms Race) brings about great strides in progress. It would have been great to see a big dump of money, on the aforementioned scale, dumped into raw research.

humanspiral@lemmy.ca on 12 Apr 21:36 next collapse

So his ultimate recommendations are “fight hypernormalism by dissassociating with the algorithm, and strengthen leftist democracy”

Democracy, as implemented, does absolutely suck. Crypto currencies are great vehicles for “liquid democracy” (you have priviledge to vote on every issue, or to delegate and take back delegation, to anyone else, and no elections are ever needed). UBI based on crypto currency analysis for deserving UBI (spending on local businesses or rent or property purchases), and other proofs of residence/existence, can work in liquid democracy if government is assured to not hate you. High income taxes and density weighted property taxes, can fund a centrist UBI. Sales taxes added with UBI, to make UBI higher, is ok too. High income taxes, make job creation programs that produce useful benefits to the community worth it in not over privatizing success as a privilege for the successful.

A major issue in getting Trump to allow bids on national land for techno-fascist cities is that whole states or counties could bid for their own federal tax free/arrangement secession. Communal style vs unlikely fascist overlord style bids. Puzzle question: would Trump allow blue counties to leave or red counties?

Liquid democracy and UBI/freedom dividends is only acceptable future of society. If Trump allows for independent of US cities bids on public lands, as a tax shelter from US scheme, there is still opportunity for real utopia to bid on such lands. And having high internal tax rates to fund UBI would certainly attract more people than techno fascist winning bid cities.

witnessbolt@lemm.ee on 13 Apr 06:36 collapse

No quarter for delusional tech bros that live in the dreamland of “corpos will totally do the right thing with no laws or regulations to stop them cuz free market iz magic”

Go kiss moldbug’s feet for me, bootlicker

I’m sure the fascist corpo states would NEEEvvvEERRRrr go to war. Everything’s too perfect in that world, right?

humanspiral@lemmy.ca on 13 Apr 11:29 collapse

You are taking position that democracy is perfect for how much Republicans and Zionism controls our lives the exact right amount, or we would have had the perfect amount under Harris, Biden, HRC, and Obama. Including Obama as neocon zionazi in that list, for giving top 2 jobs to the most neocon Republicans with a D on them. Our system is complete tyrannical shit, that requires raising $Bs. It is not freedom to be forced into participating in a corrupt system, and when the system is so divisive, the right answer of session lets “both” sides be free from the other.

Our system gives the winning side fascist power, even when little to nothing other than war happens under Democrats. That “tech bros” want a scheme for even less taxes, doesn’t mean you can’t use the same scheme to escape tyranny and form the society you want.

witnessbolt@lemm.ee on 13 Apr 12:23 collapse

😂😂😂 way to put words in my mouth. We wouldn’t be in this position if there were massive glaring issues in our system. Anyone who has an interest in current events can see that

Fracturing the United States and pulling away quickly from the world stage in a way that damages our & our allies economy & relations is… a wet dream for China & Russia. China can take the pain as it swoops in and takes jobs & relations we leave behind. Not only that - if you’re American - it’s straight up traitor talk. We already went through one civil war about the south trying to secede so they could continue slavery.

The Tech bros specifically want a tech monarchy where each “country” is run by a CEO with absolute power that otherwise only responds to the board of directors (that, assumedly… the CEO picks). Poor or don’t like it? Get out and go to a different network state. If the fascist state even lets you leave.

For the record, AIPAC can rot.

As can anyone promoting this mold bug ideology nonsense. It is traitor talk.

humanspiral@lemmy.ca on 13 Apr 15:13 collapse

Not only that - if you’re American - it’s straight up traitor talk. We already went through one civil war about the south trying to secede so they could continue slavery.

I understand that it destroys the empire, and warmongering interests are harmed. But, the tech bros are talking as if the government will give them the right to secede, and buy a tax haven inside the US. Trump has signaled that selling public lands is a win for America. Once you open that door, then selling existing counties to people who want to be free from warmongering empire is/“should be” allowed too. In addition to freedom projects bidding on the same plots of land.

Again, instead of seeing the freedom for free association, you just see the loss of fighting political war where 51% decides to oppress the divisive half into war, and 99% of elected politicians support Palestinian genocide, war on Iran, and a substantial portion of them, war on Russia and China. You need to be ruled by those who can buy support for these wars. DNC didn’t even fight voter suppression and vote rigging because Israel won with Trump. More voter suppression laws are being passed this week. Democracy in US is hopelessly broken, and the alternative to “the algorithm” in reverting it is to look at mainstream zionist media for revolution.

a wet dream for China & Russia

Like Netanyahu says, if we don’t genocide them all then Iran wins.

Unity is awesome, but unity for what matters. We need $10k more expensive cars for all Americans so that Pensylvania steel, and Michigan auto workers get cushy jobs, and Texas oil workers help destroy planet, and they all vote GOP harder?, is a deep strain on unity. $20k cheaper cars from China is a win for secessionists. The mentality of needing China to lose, is self harm programming.

The Tech bros specifically want a tech monarchy where each “country” is run by a CEO with absolute power that otherwise only responds to the board of directors (that, assumedly… the CEO picks). Poor or don’t like it? Get out and go to a different network state. If the fascist state even lets you leave.

My point is entirely that those projects will not be as successful as secessionism with liquid democracy and UBI. The opportunity to grant tech bros their fascist project is opportunity for us to be granted freedom projects. US democracy offers no hope whatsoever.

witnessbolt@lemm.ee on 13 Apr 21:17 collapse

You are delusional

“China and Russia are a threat that will only go away if they’re dead. What else can we do besides shatter the nation that defends us and pretend that the tech bros would never try to conquer the new ‘free’ states we create”

You are in la-la-land. You are, at best, trying to buy a temporary peace that literally hands our enemies everything they want - the shattering of the US, and handing the traitors that helped that happen, land and time to prepare to do it to the rest of us.

Either incredibly stupid and short sighted or just a traitor pushing moldbud ideology.

prex@aussie.zone on 13 Apr 04:42 next collapse

Ben Elton called this 35 years ago:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stark_(novel)

Halcyon@discuss.tchncs.de on 13 Apr 05:01 next collapse

A mars colony won’t come. I just doesn’t make any sense. These billionaires simply use that vision for marketing and obfuscation of their inhumane ideas (TESCREAL).

sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz on 13 Apr 05:22 next collapse

I’d imagine it will come around, but not the way people think, and not for many more generations. I mean, unless we just kill this planet before we get there, which is where I’d put my money.

LodeMike@lemmy.today on 13 Apr 08:29 collapse

If earth is killed its still a better option than Mars.

Halcyon@discuss.tchncs.de on 13 Apr 11:12 collapse

Right, Mars is so dead and hostile and far away that earth will be a much more livable habitat for humans for a long time, even if we further destroy our ecosystems here. If we can’t make it here, we can make it nowhere else.

BeNotAfraid@lemmy.ca on 16 Apr 02:36 collapse

Yes, but Elon Musk is an idiot and his maternal Grandfather is the former head of the Technocratic movement. Tesla is a meme stock, doesn’t mean that people won’t put their faith in this vision of futurism and it doesn’t mean that they won’t destroy our planet in the attempt to achieve it.

melfie@lemmings.world on 13 Apr 12:58 collapse

The technological barriers for a self-sustaining colony are high for sure. I hope humanity eventually does get there, but if it’s all controlled by oligarchs then it’s hardly progress for humanity, despite any major technological breakthroughs.

l_isqof@lemmy.world on 13 Apr 12:04 next collapse

He should take the first flight out. Can’t wait…

Formfiller@lemmy.world on 13 Apr 13:02 next collapse

Preparing a coup?….the coup is in progress

PapstJL4U@lemmy.world on 13 Apr 19:19 next collapse

Moonraker?

LovableSidekick@lemmy.world on 13 Apr 20:29 collapse

Very intelligent article in terms of painting a richly detailed picture. Falls short in reality awareness tho.

For example, it’s easy for people like the author who are immersed in using information tech to imagine everybody lives that way, but about 2/3 of all jobs still involve working directly with physical objects and materials. Of the 1/3 of jobs that could be done entirely online, only about 1/3 of those actually are. The author mentions that we also interact with our personal lives solely through electronics - to communicate with each other, manage our schedules, our lists, etc - but we used to do most of that on paper. Electronics didn’t replace direct interaction with reality, it just replaced paper and pencil.

Recognizing this takes most of the wind out of the author’s sails. Silicon Valley, the label they seem to lump modern technology in general under, which most people see as a handful of IT companies, didn’t start this phenomenon of insulating ourselves from the real world. We’ve had telephones and radio for about a century, paper for centuries before that, and all kinds of powered or motorized appliances and other conveniences all our lives. How many of us still have living relatives who ever depended on fire-based lighting or animal-powered transportation, for example?

Anyway, tl;dr I think this article is a fine example of stylishly writing up an interesting and stimulating point of view, which doesn’t really have a solid basis but is written well enough to convince many readers that it’s insightful.

crossdl@leminal.space on 13 Apr 21:06 next collapse

You make a good point.

BeNotAfraid@lemmy.ca on 16 Apr 02:48 collapse

Paper and pencils aren’t access points to infinite dopamine. Paper and pencil don’t have algorithms so disgustingly invasive they detect when a teenage girl uploads and then immediately removes a photo. Recognise that as self-conciousness and bombard them with cosmetic advertisements to sell to her. Paper and pencils aren’t 50% owned by a company that profiteered out of stealing your user data and selling it to Amazon. Who then used their gains to purchase every single emerging technology company in the world. Alphabet bought Google Maps, They Purchased Google Earth, They acquired the company that became Google Glass, they bought Google Sheets and android is just a fork of the Linux Kernel that they blocked the root directory from the User. Then they added spyware to each of them and have been collecting mass amounts of Data on every human being in the world ever since. Do not equate this to paper and pencil. Look what tech did to the Taxi industry, look at how it’s decimated the restaurant industry. Forbes has predicted a 50% drop in global GDP to occur sometime between 2070-2090. Humanity has never been addicted to paper and pencil. This is not paper and pencil.