Indeed.
Anonymity in meatspace is arguably a dead issue.
Whenever I leave the house, I assume that I'm under surveillance. So I just act normal.
Edit: In particular, I play "harmless old man".
Anonymity in meatspace is arguably a dead issue.
Whenever I leave the house, I assume that I'm under surveillance. So I just act normal.
Edit: In particular, I play "harmless old man".
Cardinal Richelieu: "Ah. And so, how do you act when you're not being watched?" [0]
[0] https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/cardinal_richelieu_183310
But anyway, the thing is that I do know that I'm under surveillance at least some of the time. So I might as well assume that it's all of the time. Because it's hard to know.
And sadly enough, I won't even speak freely with my wife, unless she's turned off her cellphone, or put it in the utility closet or bathroom, with the water running.
So let them. actually I am still hoping for the day at least the US puts me on a no entry list. I would see this as a badge of honor.
I wouldn't do that now.
I neglected to say that I was doing that with the expectation of ~anonymity. Using those gift cards to lease VPN services and VPS. Mailing cash to people selling Liberty Reserve and Pecunix. And later, Bitcoin.
That going through such steps migh assure some privacy?
Or that you'd take such measures as a matter of routine?
Or that you could do that without raising suspicions, or possibly being flagged / recorded in some manner despite (or on account of) the precautions?
Or ... ?
(Moral is not clear.)
So yes, I'm no longer comfortable assuming that such steps would guarantee any privacy. And yes, I'd also worry that at least parts of the process would be recorded. And the harder I tried to obfuscate, the more likely it'd raise suspicions.
I do worry about using a VPN. But that's not too uncommon where I live, so hopefully it's not a huge flag.
...until surveillance capitalism hurts democracy enough that people start rioting.
Absent opposition there's no particular pressure on it that would result in collapse. Sure, the inherent contradictions would lead to malaise, economic recession, and depression, but those are fairly normal parts of the political cycle that are easily spun and can always be blamed on a politically impotent minority or stock antagonist.
Eventually, the internal contradictions make it unsustainable. Before that point, resistance is essentially futile, and the regular dysfunction cycles can be swept under the rug, and resisters imprisoned or deleted.
At the point where it becomes unsustainable, resistance becomes successful.
Of course, resistance needs to be maintained through the futile years/decades/centuries, and at massive cost, so that it is there at the point when it is needed.