Oddbean new post about login | logout There isn't a sure-fire way of making anything "airtight" against anything really. The systems in place that were used to build to where things are now were flawed, maybe, but not corrupt in the beginning. They were hijacked over time, in a very subtle manner, and warped into what they are now. The consistent vigilance by all parties involved in society is the only remedy to such things.
nostr:nevent1qqswmeux0q6ll3h48mg52nh3xh5nn9kj5ujx4x2uwwymcsc7cl332fcprdmhxue69uhkummnw3e8qatz9euk2emgwfhjuumfw3jj7q3qmz7w8mm74p29d2xn4v8rdpy2y3jht4ecau8wczm7qsvp6zxmnj7sxpqqqqqqzgmq7pr This is something that everyone pushing #bitcoin and #nostr should really consider. The "majority" isn't composed of the tech-savvy, ever-vigilant people that develop such things. They also don't adopt them for use until there is a near-painfree way to do so. If there isn't a way for something like this to be used simply and at-scale for the benefits it provides, this is doomed to fail. Not being a naysayer, just trying to be objective.
Society is divided. For years we have been taught to tolerate and agree with all decisions of the state. Now people are being jailed for saying they disagree. Nobody knows where the truth is or it is only propaganda everywhere. Humanity no longer has common goals, and even global problems are successfully contested at the level of (sometimes stupid) conspiracy theories. War, murder and violence are perceived as ordinary events, and few will comply with the demands of the state in the event of a new pandemic. Are we still capable of defending ourselves?
Society is divided indeed. The misdirection of language in subtle ways, I believe, has had an impact in furthering some of what you pointed out. Tolerance, for example, does not mean you embrace something. Whether people acknowledge the importance of being precise in their words or not, it makes having a simple discussion difficult. Turn the heat up from "simple discussion" to "critical dialogue" and the whole matter is doomed. At the bottom level, if we are to engage in anything at all, all participants must know the "rules" of engagement. In the case of language, we can't all have particularized definitions (especially inappropriate and arbitrary ones) of the same word. We're speaking different languages at that point. I could go on, but I think I'll stick with my seemingly obscure point for now.