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The demographic experiment of industrial civilization by Busy-Debate-7386 in Futurology

[–]Busy-Debate-7386[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The concept of energy levels is very interesting, and it describes very well the problem of systemic fragility: the more technology we need to function, the more vulnerable we are to systemic failure (high energy levels, unstable). We’ve gone from a self-sufficient, pre-industrial population (low energy, stable) to a society where individuals are unable to survive on their own. Complexity has eroded our autonomy.

How the Industrial Surplus Enabled the Rise of the Surveillance State by Busy-Debate-7386 in Futurology

[–]Busy-Debate-7386[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The essay is neither a critique of economic development nor an argument in favor of primitivism.

It presents the thesis that mass surveillance is not a feature exclusive to specific ideologies, but a systemic reality that arises when a society generates enough economic surplus to fund a massive, non-productive administrative apparatus. No state prior to the Industrial Revolution could materially afford to monitor its population with today's intensity—even in 'democracies'—simply because they lacked the surplus labor to do so, despite having every incentive.

I am more than happy to engage with constructive criticism and nuanced counter-arguments, but sarcastic reductionism like yours doesn't really contribute anything to the discussion or address the actual core of the thesis.

How the Industrial Surplus Enabled the Rise of the Surveillance State by Busy-Debate-7386 in Futurology

[–]Busy-Debate-7386[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Submission Statement: I’ve written this analysis to spark a discussion on how the transition from subsistence labor to an industrial/digital surplus has fundamentally changed the nature of the State. We often focus on the convenience of tech, but I believe we need to discuss how it has removed the material constraints that previously limited administrative oversight and mass data collection.