Why the next huge technological leap will stifle our freedom
May we live in interesting times. On this day of the Presidential inauguration, it is fitting to reflect back on 2020. A global epidemic. A summer of riots. A booming stock market. Bitcoin blowing past $40,000. And, a twice impeached president who was removed from big-name social media platforms.
This normally won’t be newsworthy. Regular Joes are booted off these platforms all the time, but Trump was the president at the time, with 80M+ Twitter followers. Whether one agrees with President Trump’s rhetoric or not, the fact remains that he exploited a technological marvel (social media platforms) to bypass traditional media, and delivered his message directly to the people. No filter, no spin, just raw rhetoric with expansive reach. Imagine President Lincoln at a whistle-stop, preaching from a soapbox, with a megaphone that could project his voice clear across the South, skirting the editorial privilege of The Richmond Examiner. Could he have stopped the war with his rhetoric or at least turned Missouri and Kentucky?
Media outlets like Forbes, New York Times, NBC, Fox and more have extensively written about the constitutionality of Trump’s ouster from these platforms. Even Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey has weighed in, curiously, casting doubt on his own decision. So, I won’t cover this ground, but explore another aspect of this decision that may have dire implications for our future.
What happens when a novel technology, that can dramatically augment a person’s intellectual capabilities, springs forth upon the masses? Will it liberate us or bind us in ways we can’t imagine? Until now.
