George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

CONTINUED...:

At the end of the day, the hardest part is that we are talking a country here, and many/most of our leaders believe the perception imposed on them. I don't believe in some grand conspiracy. I believe in people susceptible to taking on information they don't know for themselves as truth. So the result is we have ultimately good people--hopefully--in congress that literally believe we are helping the world by policing it. And because the layer cake is so deep, of course there are people in the midst who have much to gain by current perceptions, and as a result find it easier to justify our violence, destruction and militarism. It's a bad concoction. And on top of it, there likely are some truly selfish people with nothing but self-interest in mind. My hunch is that the scare about communism after World War 2 has a lot to do with the fact that wealthy Rockefeller barron types were absolutely terrified of communism and what it would do to their wealth that they got politicians on their side to scare the nation about communism. Now in the age of public corporations, that's less likely the case--and with billionaires devoting their money to the greater good--but back in the day it was a different world. Communism isn't good, but what I see in history is countries trying to find themselves as the suffering bottom portion of the population tried to fairly get a piece of the pie. We might have stumbled through communism/socialism in many places, but in almost all, the result has been a hybrid. Perhaps we have "American Ideals" and American FORCE to thank, but it's my viewpoint that for civilization to mature any farther we can't continue with the "gun against your head" liberty America has enforced that perhaps made it all possible. And that's if it made it possible--maybe it wasn't necessary throughout the 60s, 70s, etc.

Lastly, without a doubt civilization has improved greatly over the past several hundred years, perhaps the most this past century. And the fact that we were able to do that as our population exploded this last century (I think it went from a billion in 1900 to approaching 10 billion now), is an even more amazing thing. So things are getting better. In the states, things like the civil rights movements were successful; I can now talk on forums like this positively about communism/socialism without being persecuted like in the 50s and 60s. We have minds more open than ever and venues to express the thoughts that come out of them. I'm not pessimistic. I just think we could and should be moving a lot faster.

On a side note, that's basically what Trump is pointing out, even if it requires denigrating any progress made since the Bush administration and the Wall Street near-collapse. So I think for the first time a better different future is in reach. We can almost grab it, but with the government--the same Government Hillary would keep alive--we could stagnate unnecessarily for a very long time. That's not to say Trump will just become complicit--let's just hope not.

I think a lot of us technologists see the obvious future: DE-CENTRALIZATION! Decentralize money, decentralize government (give more tax money to localized smaller governments that can actually do something; crypto-governments maybe one day?), and create an environment where we can "vote with our feet" and money. For example, I think if all the states got more money and we cut our military and federal budget by a lot, that would kickstart a lot of competition for the states. Europe seems to be doing better than us--and I'm willing to bet it has a lot to do with the fact that it's comprised of a lot of competing smaller countries. In addition, this is all identical to the promise of decentralized cryptocurrency goals and the sharing economy. That's clearly the future. Well maybe not clearly what's gonna happen, but clearly the future that would serve us best.

On another side note, part of that challenge is acknowledging that the Republicans are right on one thing: big government is not the way. That's one of the hardest things to reconcile with the fact that democrats and liberals clearly are pitching a more compassionate message. I don't see us escaping this endless stalemate without liberating ourselves from the prism/prison of 2 party perception and the religion of government in general. That is, the religion of somehow the government is gonna be what saves us and makes our lives better. That's where the less government aspect Republicans tote is so important.

We need something big and different to happen for us to have any hope of getting past this any time soon. It likely won't be Trump, but will it be the aftermath? And if so, ARE WE PREPARED TO WELCOME THE IDEA THAT SOMETIMES THINGS MUST GET WORSE BEFORE THEY GET BETTER?? That's a pill most aren't willing to follow, but also such doubling down on touch decisions, the difference between our successful projects/startups and those that join the 99.99999% that fail.

Let's take advantage of the next time those in power try to manipulate us with such things as bogus reports on Russian cyber attacks. Those are blessings in disguise. Silver linings in the clouds. The less credibility they have, the more power new viewpoints can have. Very few--if only the US Government--can state something as fact without evidence and get the entire media repeating their claims as if facts. That's dangerous.

The revolution begins now--as ironic as it is that it's been kickstarted by a megalomaniac that will do and say anything if it serves his self-interest. We don't need to let that get in our way. Let's use what we need from it and keep our eyes on the prize.

Transparency and decentralization is the war cry! That's the war cry of economic advancement.

The war cry of stability and humanity is: no more invasions (of other countries and, secondly, privacy). Iraq may very well be the last "Iraq"--the next battles very well may be fought at home to protect us from a truly Orwellian future.

When did he say he was gifting all profits from foreign ventures to the US Treasury? Last I read about it, his pledge only related to profits from foreign governments for his hotels and similar businesses. The WaPo addressed the shortcomings of that pledge in [1].

Since it is a pledge, it also supposes that his word has any value. Anyone who looked at his business or charity dealings knows that his promises are worthless.

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-plan-to-donate...

Technically it's still not a lie. But you would be delusional. I don't know what is worse in a president.

Isn't it a bit too late to read 1984? I'd say it is too late get into cyberpunk too, because most if not all of those "warnings" came and passed largely unnoticed. It is quite pitiful "waking up to the corporate state" just because "not-our-candidate" won, while living in one for past 2-3 decades.

That was probably a theological opinion, for what it's worth. People forget MLK was a pastor.