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Silicon Valley's Social Credit System

Stigmata

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I sense a great potential in you for censorship and authoritarianism. Will you join us on our quest to purge the motherland of fascists?


Depends on what sort of benefits package we're talking. Right now I've got a locker with my username on it, containing just a single photo of Che Guevara on the inside. Can you offer the same?
 

Honeydew

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Depends on what sort of benefits package we're talking. Right now I've got a locker with my username on it, containing just a single photo of Che Guevara on the inside. Can you offer the same?

Even better, we'll give you a Che Guevara t-shirt with a complementary face mask and armband. All black dress code is strictly enforced, although you're free to color your hair at your own discretion.
 

Stigmata

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Even better, we'll give you a Che Guevara t-shirt with a complementary face mask and armband. All black dress code is strictly enforced, although you're free to color your hair at your own discretion.

SIGN-ME-UP!!!
 

Doctor Cringelord

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Aw, now you're not even trying that hard to convince anyone, just resorting to silly stereotypes. Disappointing. I was enjoying it.
 

Stigmata

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Done.

But first you must relinquish your mod powers TO ME!!!

SecondhandLightheartedGalapagossealion-size_restricted.gif

Whoa there, cowboy person (see how I didn't assume your gender..) Careful where you stick that big suction thingy.

I was told they'd knock me out during the extraction process, yet here I am wide awake and that dude filling that massive syringe with some bubbling liquid is starting to really concern me.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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Whoa there, cowboy person (see how I didn't assume your gender..) Careful where you stick that big suction thingy.

I was told they'd knock me out during the extraction process, yet here I am wide awake and that dude filling that massive syringe with some bubbling liquid is starting to really concern me.

giphy.gif
 

rav3n

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I saw this making the rounds on Facebook.

Silicon Valley is building a Chinese-style social credit system

At first I was put-off by the idea of China's social credit system, but according to this article, one survey found that 80% of Chinese citizens somewhat or strongly approve of social credit. I suppose it's not that surprising that Silicon Valley is attempting something similar in the US, considering that tech giants are helping to build China's surveillance state, but I've come to terms with this idea and welcome the intervention into our volatile sociopolitical environment. Although I would prefer the government to manage a social credit system rather than private corporations whose ultimate goal is to maximize their own profits, I take solace in the fact that Silicon Valley is largely comprised of progressive visionaries. There is some relevance here to the censorship of right-wing extremism on social media platforms, but not all censorship is inherently wrong. In the words of Edmund Burke, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Therefore it is not only acceptable, but ethical to ensure that fascists are not given a platform to spread their hateful ideologies. If these measures were in place prior to 2016, we wouldn't currently have a megalomaniac in the highest office in the country running concentration camps on the border. The way I see it, authoritarianism is the future. It's inevitable. The only question is, who will wield that authority. The right and left-wing parties are in an arms race to the top; and at the moment, leftists are winning the culture war with strongholds in academia, entertainment and the media. Yet despite that advantage, a fascist now sits in the White House. I feel like it is imperative for progressives, and anyone with a sense of decency, to utilize any means necessary to silence white supremacists and ensure there is never any chance of resurgence among their ranks. If that means sacrificing a little bit of freedom, well then that's a sacrifice that I'm willing to make. And you should too.
This doesn't take into consideration the cultural differences between China and the free world. The Chinese culture bends to authoritarianism where western cultures revere democracy. Chinese culture believes in Face. The Face concept is premised on your social circle ranking of you, in terms of a social hierarchy. So, you have no worth except one given by the people around you.

But I do agree that the 'like' system in social media emulates Face culture. On reddit, it's not uncommon to receive ten thousand upvotes and karma points in a month, never mind gold and silver rewards. And the naive look to this as meaningful where realistically, social media is so heavily manipulated by bot networks that it's not even funny.
 

Honeydew

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This doesn't take into consideration the cultural differences between China and the free world. The Chinese culture bends to authoritarianism where western cultures revere democracy. Chinese culture believes in Face. The Face concept is premised on your social circle ranking of you, in terms of a social hierarchy. So, you have no worth except one given by the people around you.

But I do agree that the 'like' system in social media emulates Face culture. On reddit, it's not uncommon to receive ten thousand upvotes and karma points in a month, never mind gold and silver rewards. And the naive look to this as meaningful where realistically, social media is so heavily manipulated by bot networks that it's not even funny.

I don't believe the younger generations in the US revere democracy, patriotism or traditional American values like previous generations did. There is definitely some fertile ground there for authoritarianism to flourish. Once we abolish the 2nd Amendment, get rid of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, open the borders, and allocate more power/money to the federal government to institute socialist policies, there will be no stopping our globalist ambitions.

There's more American patriotism in Hong Kong than there is among America's youth.


[Exhibit A] Hong Kong




[Exhibit B] USA

 

rav3n

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I don't believe the younger generations in the US revere democracy,

patriotism or

traditional American values like previous generations did.
These three are distinct issues where I disagree with you.

There is definitely some fertile ground there for authoritarianism to flourish.
Authoritarianism is only revered by a small percentage of the millennnials. It's the boomers who are clinging to it with around a 50/50 split in Gen X (older ones align with boomers, younger ones align with millennials).

Once we abolish the 2nd Amendment,
This won't happen and isn't a necessity. Gun control =/= abolishing the 2nd.

get rid of Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
Unnecessary since once the Dems regain power in 2020, they'll simply reign them in as they should. Right now, ICE has no oversight so they're committing atrocities.

open the borders,
Not going to happen so that's silly.

and allocate more power/money to the federal government to institute socialist policies,
Nothing wrong with tax payer monies being allocated to tax payer needs like universal healthcare and free tuition.

there will be no stopping our globalist ambitions.
Meh.
 

Honeydew

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Authoritarianism is only revered by a small percentage of the millennnials. It's the boomers who are clinging to it with around a 50/50 split in Gen X (older ones align with boomers, younger ones align with millennials).

I'm not sure what you mean here. Can you elaborate?

This won't happen and isn't a necessity. Gun control =/= abolishing the 2nd.

In the same way that speech control =/= abolishing the 1st Amendment? As an authoritarian leftist, I fully support the government using taxpayers' money to buy/forcibly confiscate all guns. "Weapons of war" in the hands of civilians is how those unruly colonists resisted the authority of the British Empire. It's a threat to totalitarianism that I simply cannot abide.

Unnecessary since once the Dems regain power in 2020, they'll simply reign them in as they should. Right now, ICE has no oversight so they're committing atrocities.

I believe that all border security is racist and inhumane. At least the Democrats have resisted every measure that Trump has pushed to quell the influx of undocumented immigrants crossing the border.

The Atlantic - What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means

“Abolishing ICE has suddenly become a touchstone in our politics and our larger body politic,” said Muzaffar Chishti, the director of the Migration Policy Institute at NYU School of Law, “and in the absence of having any sort of thoughtful, reasoned policies on what enforcement we should have, people have focused their anger on ICE, as if ICE disappeared from the face of this Earth all our problems would be solved.”

Not going to happen so that's silly.

I don't think it's silly. It's the only progressive and compassionate thing to do. What measures of border enforcement do you support?

Nothing wrong with tax payer monies being allocated to tax payer needs like universal healthcare and free tuition.

Academic institutions are controlled by leftists so I fully support taxpayer funded indoctrination programs.


Our generation summed up into a single word.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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I don't believe the younger generations in the US revere democracy, patriotism or traditional American values like previous generations did. There is definitely some fertile ground there for authoritarianism to flourish. Once we abolish the 2nd Amendment, get rid of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, open the borders, and allocate more power/money to the federal government to institute socialist policies, there will be no stopping our globalist ambitions.

There's more American patriotism in Hong Kong than there is among America's youth.


[Exhibit A] Hong Kong




[Exhibit B] USA


These sound like right wing talking points and fears reinterpreted or translated to sound like they’re coming from a caricature of a left winger.

You sound like a movie villain explaining their plot. “There will be no stopping our globalist ambitions, mwuhahahahah! Even Captain Planet and Scooby-Doo won’t be able to stop us!”

Keep twirling that mustache
 

rav3n

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I'm not sure what you mean here. Can you elaborate?
Millennials for Dems 62%, for GOP 39%.

1. Generations’ party identification, midterm voting preferences, views of Trump | Pew Research Center

In the same way that speech control =/= abolishing the 1st Amendment? As an authoritarian leftist, I fully support the government using taxpayers' money to buy/forcibly confiscate all guns. "Weapons of war" in the hands of civilians is how those unruly colonists resisted the authority of the British Empire. It's a threat to totalitarianism that I simply cannot abide.
Wish all you want. The second amendment will protect gun ownership.


I believe that all border security is racist and inhumane. At least the Democrats have resisted every measure that Trump has pushed to quell the influx of undocumented immigrants crossing the border.

The Atlantic - What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means

“Abolishing ICE has suddenly become a touchstone in our politics and our larger body politic,” said Muzaffar Chishti, the director of the Migration Policy Institute at NYU School of Law, “and in the absence of having any sort of thoughtful, reasoned policies on what enforcement we should have, people have focused their anger on ICE, as if ICE disappeared from the face of this Earth all our problems would be solved.”
ICE is an enforcement agency which needs to be controlled by the government. Disbanding ICE would only be shooting the messenger, rather than addressing the real problem, one of the GOP being in power in the White House and the Senate.

I don't think it's silly. It's the only progressive and compassionate thing to do.
Meh.

What measures of border enforcement do you support?
I'm not going to get into the details.

Academic institutions are controlled by leftists so I fully support taxpayer funded indoctrination programs.
I'm sure you do, especially since you're spouting a lot of right wing fear mongering points.

Our generation summed up into a single word.
Meh.
 

Lark

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This doesn't take into consideration the cultural differences between China and the free world. The Chinese culture bends to authoritarianism where western cultures revere democracy. Chinese culture believes in Face. The Face concept is premised on your social circle ranking of you, in terms of a social hierarchy. So, you have no worth except one given by the people around you.

But I do agree that the 'like' system in social media emulates Face culture. On reddit, it's not uncommon to receive ten thousand upvotes and karma points in a month, never mind gold and silver rewards. And the naive look to this as meaningful where realistically, social media is so heavily manipulated by bot networks that it's not even funny.

I think that the idea of losing face is a huge, huge factor in the west and democracies, its less acknowledged or conscious but it is exactly the same thing.

I also think that the Chinese may be authoritarian but the same sort of authoritarianism has huge appeal in the west too, most of the people in the UK who hate the EU are not fans of the European Convention or Court of Human Rights either and are envious of the Chinese regime's use of corporal and capital punishments.

Within the UK there where/are factions within the conservative party who have/do hope that promises to reintroduce both will be more popular than preserving/protecting the NHS from wholesale privatization and sale to the US. Anyone who thinks that there's some sort of ingrained or entrenched difference, culturally or any other sort, is kidding themselves.
 

Coriolis

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A whole slew of posts were removed to the graveyard as off-topic and conspicuously trollish, including understandable responses to the same. More may follow. Keep it between the lines, folks.
 

Doctor Cringelord

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In the "olden times" there were often "company towns" owned by corporations. The workers lived there and all of the town shops and services were owned and provided by "the company" who could basically charge what they pleased with little or no way for the employees to do anything about it if something was fishy or unfair. It wasn't unlike some nightmarish science fiction scenario (like Weyland Yutani Corporation's corporate colonies in the Alien universe, or the company town seen in the film Halloween III).

I fear we're moving towards this again, but on a global scale that will transcend any governmental power to safeguard consumers and citizens. Scary shit.
 
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