scrape_r_rational/data/cache/2mnm97.md

​Huxleyed Into the Full Orwell --Cory Doctorow

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• u/noggin-scratcher:

  I'm having some trouble distinguishing whether this is fiction or current events.
  

  • u/alexanderwales:

    In case you didn't know, [Dmitry Sklyarov](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._ElcomSoft_and_Sklyarov) was a real person. The whole case was pretty crazy for a variety of reasons.
    

• u/eaglejarl:

  I'm a bit confused about the message here. I think what just happened is that Kitty was arrested, so Shandra protested, so Shandra was arrested, so the narrator protests, so....
  
  Is the implication that the narrator will actually take action there at the end? Or is it just a never ending loop of didn't-make-a-difference?
  

  • u/alexanderwales:

    The cynical (and in my opinion, probably realistic) view is that no one is really making that much of a difference. But given that it's Doctorow, I think the intended message is more along the lines of "together we're strong, and the message is unstoppable even though they'll try their best to stop it". They can put us in Free Speech Zones, and throw on riot gear, but that won't put a dent in our ability to be heard.
    

    • u/eaglejarl:

      > "together we're strong
      
      But...they're not.  Political strength (or power in general) is the ability to actually cause change.  If they aren't causing change, how can they be said to be strong?
      

      • u/alexanderwales:

        To someone with Doctorow's mindset, it goes like this:
        
        1. People violate the DMCA.
        2. People get arrested for that.
        3. People protest in creative ways and engage in a media assault.
        4. The protest gets widespread attention.
        5. The masses widely agree that it's bullshit.
        6. The politicians, now under pressure, change the policies in order to get re-elected.
        
        This requires optimism at pretty much every stage - optimism that the media would give a shit about a protest, optimism that the masses would give a shit about the media, optimism that the political pressure could last long enough to impact policy, etc. I imagine that Doctorow is hampered a bit by the short story format (about 2,000 words here), but to "get" this story you have to buy into some of his worldview re: political activism and its results.
        

      • u/None:

        While what you just said sounds incredibly dark, noticing its basic truth is also the first step towards being able to take *effective* political action.
        
        You should have a cookie, to be honest.
        

        • u/eaglejarl:

          > You should have a cookie, to be honest.
          
          Double chocolate chip?
          

          • u/None:

            Duuuude.
            

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