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Comment by rrggrr | Hacker News Reader

Twitter is a medium at the forefront of democracy movements worldwide. If there were any site worth standing down surveillance in pursuit of a larger foreign policy goal then I would have thought Twitter would be that site. Instead, I'm now imagining young staffers at various US agencies squirming with dumb chills as senior policy makers articulate Twitter's threat to US national security or law enforcement objectives. On the other hand, I'm hopeful these stupid decisions lead to a new generation of US policy makers who will learn something from their bosses mistakes.

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Well the problem is that policy making is completely institutionalized and only serves the 1%, which is why software like Ethereum is going to be so important in the future. It will democratize policy making and put it in the hands of everyone. As well as means to articulate any other form of meetings of the minds.

Democratizing policy making is not a guaranteed panacea. Things like the civil rights movement don't happen as a result of democratic policy; they happen when the majority are forced to live a better way.

The founders recognized pure democracy was not an ideal government, regardless of technological issues with regard to implementing it. A republic allows decisions to be made that the majority will never agree to.

s/1%/ruling class/

Don't make them seem like a bigger deal than they really are. Most of the 1% has barely any more say in the direction of the US government than anyone else. The gaggle of assholes responsible for the plight of America couldn't fill up a small town.

Twitter is also used to manipulate democracy movements. A while ago there was an FBO bid posted to Hacker News for sock puppet software to manage social media accounts and multiple apparent writing styles.

The way I like to think about it is that every stupid decision by a senior policy maker increases the chances of another Edward Snowden emerging.

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