Emmanuel Goldstein is dead.

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Oleg Volk

I heard the news last night. Victory gin for everyone and carry on exactly as before…yesterday. TSA massages and FBI wiretaps will continue as scheduled.

This entry was posted in civil rights and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

12 Responses to Emmanuel Goldstein is dead.

  1. John_Smith says:
    May 2, 2011 at 11:39 am

    Emmanuel Goldstein? What’s with that?

  2. jon says:
    May 2, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    I was just saying this at Krav Maga this morning. Glad to hear I’m not the only one… 2 minutes of hate shall continue as scheduled.

  3. John_Smith says:
    May 2, 2011 at 2:07 pm

    Oh . . . I apologize for my illiteracy, then.

    You know, I would bet that many would (and probably will) misconstrue that item.

    Glad it’s clear.

  4. R. says:
    May 2, 2011 at 2:46 pm

    So, when can we expect a million strong protest march in Washington D.C. calling for an end to warrantless wiretaps and email snooping?

    Also, there’s some evidence that suggests CIA has backdoors into Facebook databases. Access to that kind of information would give your average STASI spook multiple orgasms.

    So, yeah. Who needs millions of informers if nearly everyone lets the State know who their friends are, how much he likes them, what are his hobbies, who are his loved ones, which pets they like, what are their fears .. etc etc?

    You americans are lucky that you have lots of guns. Won’t be much help in twenty years when DoD can field killer armored droids that’d chew down light infantry like a couple of Vickers HMG’s would chew up your medieval cavarly charge.

    Though, thank god for hackers. Making something easy to use and non hackable is a tall order..

  5. R. says:
    May 2, 2011 at 2:53 pm

    Also not to forget: law enforcement can get location info one everyone, because phones either store that, or can send out that info if queried.

    Unique RFID chips in newer tires can be tracked by roadside sensors.

    So, the powers that be, if they have decent IT support can know where you’ve been and when..

    I really look forward to the brave new world where no one can hide anything but the thoughts* in one’s skull. Or maybe a diary in a safe.

    *In fifty years or so, that’ll be history. Brain computer interfaces are going to be very useful, and you can bet countries with Departments of Homeland Security analogues US will want access to your thoughts, emotions, etc.)
    After all, if you’ve done nothing wrong, what have you got to hide?

      • R. says:
        May 2, 2011 at 5:09 pm

        Thanks. A poem I actually like! 🙂 (or a song, I know)

        But I don’t believe that will always be the case. Human nature is not immutable. If it were, we would be safer, but forever doomed to be nothing more than what we are now.

        And I don’t think you are the kind of person who would be for that. We may all end up in hell, or become more far more free by building up the tower of technology than our basic nature allows.

        I don’t get people who like the Babel story. Nothing seems better to me than building a tower of babel, and becoming more than slightly smarter cousins of apes.

        Neural interfaces offer wondrous opportunities, and great hazards. Like nuclear power. There was a good article by a researcher in the field in Scientifc American. He glossed over the hazards though.

        Imagine that one day, we might have, consensual telepathy and will be able to exchange thoughts.

        The same technology, used for evil, however, will create dangers of coercive brain implants, involuntary hive minds and a host of other horrors.

        We will live in interesting times. Unless it really falls apart in 2020 and a new Dark Age starts. But then, at least we will get to fire guns in anger and see who can and who cannot hack it. And have a chance to die, fighting evil.

        Probably beats a lifetime of working for corporate control freaks and too much stress. To me at least, dying for a good cause seems better.

      • R. says:
        May 2, 2011 at 7:08 pm

        Here’s a youtube version:

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmwTa9qRq0o

        I am probably unique in that I like Germans and their language. Even though they can be assholes sometimes. And were really nasty back in the 40ties.

  6. AMB says:
    May 3, 2011 at 1:54 am

    Oh man, you about gave me a heart attack. I thought you meant Emmanual Goldstein, editor of the excellent 2600. (http://www.2600.com/)

    Then I realized that both are 1984 references and I breathed a sigh of relief.

    Also, you are correct, sir.

  7. staghounds says:
    May 3, 2011 at 5:52 am

    He always made me think of the Nana Sahib.

Comments are closed.