Comment Re:The steady slide to Police State continues (Score 1) 1123
I agree with your sentiment despite not having witnessed first-hand the destructive power of these devices.
Furthermore, if one looks back at history, these revolutionary acts from a collective population tend to be very spontaneous. If we constantly have people whispering about how we should gather and revolt, then, well, that in itself doesn't do much. The tinder is already there in the form of the feeling of personal violation on the part of everyday citizens. The question is whether there is enough tinder to make a sustainable fire.
Once there is enough tinder, the question becomes what the ignition source will be, and that's the tricky part. These events are usually violent, with notable exceptions being just that. I personally don't want to be involved in instigating a violent conflict. The people who wish this are answering the question of whether the ends justify the means the same way as those currently abusing their power, and there would be collateral damage to somehow rationalize or trivialize.
I'm not comfortable with that, so what I want to do to effect change is to write software specifically aimed towards furthering the public good. Naturally this won't have immediate changes. However, with regard to current events, I hope that should a fire blaze, that it cleanses as it burns and that it burns only where necessary.