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Peter Burns's avatar

Interesting perspective. However no single individual is going to solve the problem of weaponisation, as the fate of Swift shows. If one person or one state owns a platform, then sooner or later that platform is bound to be turned or "weaponised" to suit that person's interests. Seems to me the best solution lies in "open-sourcing" the platform to allow some form of democratic oversight.

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Ed Brenegar's avatar

The weaponization of these base layers is a form of diminished thinking. It points to weakness, insecurity, and essentially a decline in capacity by institutions and their leaders to function at a high level. It reveals a loss of vision and a marginalize perception of the world. The elite are the marginalized because they cannot see what many of us see.

Several years ago, I came up with a perspective that I call the Two Global Forces. There is the global force of centralized institutions of governance and finance and there is the global force of decentralized networks of relationships. I believe the former is descending in its capacity to fulfill the promise that they have claimed as their manifesto. I believe the latter is ascending because of two things. One is the emergence of digital technologies that allow for immediate interaction with people around the world. As a result, a global world is becoming much more a local world because we relate to people in the context of the specifics of their lives, rather than through news headlines and restrictive narratives. It also means that these base layers will eventually be restored to their once vital purpose.

Two is the recognition that you describe here of neutrality, though it is only neutral in regard to the political binary conflicts that are thrust upon. Actually, I am finding people moving toward a third pole, which is the recognition that the spectrum is not left / right or capitalist/socialist. Instead, it is global/local. The global functions like a simulated reality, The Matrix captures this picture. The local functions in terms of direct relationships focused on local needs and opportunities. It is difficult to deweaponize if our perception of the world remains a weaponized one. If, however, we turn our focus to our local communities, then we can begin address issues that have a real impact upon people.

I like very much what you have to say here. Thanks.

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