I saw that publishing all over the world was deeply constrained by self-censorship, economics and political censorship, while the military-industrial complex was growing at a tremendous rate, and the amount of information that it was collecting about all of us vastly exceeded the public imagination.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the limitations on free publishing due to various censorships while contrasting it with the vast growth of information collection by powerful entities.
Julian Assange's quote reflects the increasing restrictions on open publication fueled by self-censorship, economic factors, and political pressures, amidst the rapid expansion of the military-industrial complex. He suggests that this powerful entity collects an immense amount of information on individuals, surpassing what the public is aware of, thereby raising concerns about privacy, freedom of expression, and the implications of such surveillance in society.
In practice
In a discussion about freedom of speech at a university event.
The greater the power, the more need there is for transparency, because if the power is abused, the result can be so enormous. On the other hand, those people who do not have power, we mustn't reduce their power even more by making them yet more transparent.
Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence and thereby eventually lose all ability to defend ourselves and those we love.
You can either be informed and your own rulers, or you can be ignorant and have someone else, who is not ignorant, rule over you.
The internet, our greatest tool of emancipation, has been transformed into the most dangerous facilitator of totalitarianism we have ever seen. The internet is a threat to human civilization.
Take it that you have died today, and your life's story is ended; and henceforward regard what future time may be given you as uncovenanted surplus, and live it out in harmony with nature.
He spent a lot of time flying. He learnt to communicate with birds and discovered that their conversation was fantastically boring. It was all to do with wind speed, wing spans, power-to-weight ratios and a fair bit about berries. Unfortunately, he discovered, once you have learnt birdspeak you quickly come to realize that the air is full of it the whole time, just inane bird chatter. There is no getting away from it.
Sin contains its own judgement and punishment.
Religion isn’t about believing things. It's ethical alchemy. It’s about behaving in a way that changes you, that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness.
In the West, we have been withdrawing from our tradition-, religion-, and even nation-centred cultures.
To get along with God, Consider the consequences of your behavior. Earthseed: The Books of the Living
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