The expulsion and subsequent arrest of Assange was bound to happen, it was just a matter of time. What happens now? Extradition to the US where he will likely be imprisoned and effectively disappeared. Does it matter?
Yes.
This is not a question about Hero or Villain, it is one of control.
And the importance of it.
No matter what side one finds themselves, the narrative is going to be warped to support one's views and unlike a blockchain, there is no immutability, it changes continually under informational duress and when the information is engineered and fed, the narrative of belief swings opinion.
Do you think you know the truth? How can you be so sure? Because you feel you know?
The world of control is changing and while we are long way from the end game, the populace is waking up to the fact that whoever controls the information, controls opinion and - we are slowly recognizing that we do not control the information. The leaks that keep happening as damning and controversial as they are on topic tell of something much more important and that is - how little we know about the world that affects us, how little we know about those we have charged with the job of our security.
Funny isn't it - We think being secure is being ignorant.
I am not talking about reading the news as the news is a wing of the controlled narrative, it is about paying attention to the world in which we live, the reality of our own experience and in so doing, seeing what actually affects us daily. We are consumers of information that make us feel that we are knowledgeable, correct, on the right side of the argument without ever asking the questions, without ever meeting those we are arguing with.
How can we know if what we know is of value if we have never experienced it ourselves as it could all be part of the story weaved - because we read it in a book? Then, based o what we know we spread it further, convince others that what we know is valuable - distributors of narrative with every share, every post, every article we right based on what we ourselves have not experienced.
We can't control ourselves.
It is something that those tasked with disseminating the information know very well, they have hacked our social wiring and need to feel knowledgeable by providing neat little packages of information tailored to spread, designed to go viral and; built to influence. Tailored to feed our egos and make us feel part of a group, elite. And, we eat it up without discern because we are built to consume, designed to take the low-hanging fruit and absorb high-calorie content regardless of the nutritional value. All from behind a screen without the experience of life to filter fact from fiction. The narrative broadcast becomes the one we hold for we do not have a comparison to mark it against.
Will it ever be different, can we ever take control of the information back and verify the narrative of those entrusted to make sure the trust is well placed? It isn't going to be easy when the incentive is designed for informational convenience and reward for giving up responsibility of oneself to those who should be under constant audit. It is easier to let others manage our lives, make our decisions and when things don't go the way we want, believe them on who is to blame for our position, our suffering.
Let me give you a hint: It is always someone else.
It doesn't matter whether you believe Assange is a Criminal or a Freedom fighter - the fact is that he released information that was controlled. And it wasn't controlled because of security of the people, it was controlled because of security from the people, because if people knew the whole truth, they would no longer place their trust, no longer give up responsibility, no longer believe that an authority has their best interest at heart, the narrative would change.
The narrative is changing.
And when it comes to relinquishing control, those with it don't do it willingly. Informational freedom is not going to be a smooth process welcomed by the masses because the narrative is going to be warped, examples are going to be made and threats of insecurity heightened to influence and prolong the narrative that - we can't trust ourselves, we need their protection, we are victims and, we need to be saved.
The enemy is the truth.
But - you know the truth... don't you?
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]