@RonJeffries The history of the revolutionary 19th century is relevant. “The revolutions were shaped by a wide variety of causes, which were linked to the short- and long-term socioeconomic transformations brought about by industrialization and the political legacy of the French Revolution.”

Those revolutions all failed, even when people *had* a political legacy to look back to and were under a far weaker surveillance state. I suspect the oligarchs agree w/ Justin, and think they’re safe.

@marick @RonJeffries

You can't sell anything if nobody has the money to buy anything.

I'd also argue there were plenty of positive social changes in 19th century Europe that stuck. A revolutionary government failing doesn't mean no changes happen. Ask the French revolution.

If indeed we get massive unemployment of most office workers, something I worry about but I'm definitely not certain about (cheap computation didn't make accountants redundant, for instance), I'm convinced we're in for a wild ride.

Data centers are concentrated, and have power plugs.

@faassen @RonJeffries I think the original quote (“short-term and long-term socioeconomic transformations”) agrees with you.

What the history of revolution says, I guess, is that while what you say about data centers is true, we should realize it’s easy to hire vast numbers of people with guns to defend the power plugs.

The point of a surveillance state is efficiency: you need fewer guns to maintain the desirable social order.