The Free Exchange of Information
What were the most impactful inventions of the past 1000 years?
The top two could be interchangeable, then there is an unimaginably large gap before the third.
They were; the printing press & the internet.
The printing press led to the Renaissance, and it pulled the rug out from under the religious oligarchs who broadly had a monopoly on “salvation” and learning. Before Gutenberg, access to information was for a chosen, hand-picked few. But the printing press made information accessible to those who had the will to seek it out. Boom.. Enlightenment.
The internet led to an explosion of technology that changed no less than everything. The internet.. well you get it, you’re living through it. Boom.. all the things.
Both of these inventions gave power to the people while they uprooted their perspective times relatively rigid & controlling power structures. Both lead to some of the greatest changes the world has ever seen. Because it turns out people are actually pretty smart, and when we are able to interact with each other more, with more information, the result is more.. a lot More, more in everything. The result is the unleashing of our individual genius in new, beautiful, and unexpected ways.
The more people are able to connect with real and free information the more power it gives to individuals to make powerful decisions that better not just themselves, but the world around them. It destroys the drug that our ruling class uses to get everything they want, dependency. Dependency: the soft slavery of low expectations. For we are in a slave-like state to the degree we are dependent.
Human interaction with access to knowledge has always been and will always be a wellspring for progress. That is why most inventions and innovations happen in and around cities. There are some who put the “countryside” on a pedestal like it is the ultimate goal or it’s the way life should be, No. The countryside is great, but progress comes from people bumping into each other more, progress comes from connection, it comes from cities.
People are awesome. And awesome things happen the more we interact. Sadly Covid has massively decreased this most precious catalyst to progress, human interaction. The opportunity cost of Covid is incalculable. Due to the lack of human-to-human connection that drives inspiration, there is no way to know how many world-changing ideas were simply never had. Yeah, Zoom is great but it’s not the same. Not even close.
We live in a post-objective world. Objectivity demands accessibility, accessibility to all sides. And sadly, accessibility to the full story has been banned on some of the most important topics of our times.
That is why it matters so much for us to stand up for the free exchange of information. The imprisonment of the free exchange of ideas should be met with our unending challenge.
I don’t know who needs to hear this but: YOU AREN'T EVEN ABLE TO CONSIDER REALITY WHEN HALF THE RELEVANT INFORMATION IS BANNED.
Therefore: unless you intentionally rigorously and specifically fully seek out the other side, you are…..
BELIEVING A LIE!!
Not maybe believing a lie. Not likely believing a lie. 100% certainly believing a lie.
I know good honest smart people who let this obvious truth sail a thousand miles over their head. How!?!? How has around half the population acquiesced to this intellectual thuggery?
Just like shooting rockets at civilians to get a political result when peaceful means would work is wrong no matter the cause, it is wrong to ban robust discussion. If you attack civilians, you are inherently wrong. If you attack open debate, you are inherently wrong. Both of these methods disqualify you from the moral high ground. Both of these methods disqualify you from being on the right side of history. They are pathetic, and it is equally as pathetic to make excuses for them. They are both the very essence of illiberal authoritarianism masquerading as the victim.
In this core tenant of liberty, we have regrettably and significantly already lost. The most important platforms have largely banned dissenting ideas, opinions, and objective facts on the most important topics of our time, like Covid. The way they have so easily moved us into their intellectual ghettos is a stain on liberalism that history will not soon forget. Their next step will most certainly be to move us into their intellectual Auschwitz. This analogy in no way sensationalizes our situation. When practicing doctors with thousands of instances of lived experience are banned from disseminating their findings concerning thee topic of our time, we are living in and under intellectual fascism, intellectual Naziism. To those participating or celebrating in this sin against civility and modernity, I hope those words haunt you. You aren't the good guy. There is no way around it. The people using power to control what is “real” have never, and will never be the good guys. It is the way of Mao, Joseph, Benito, and Adolf. Repent.
Though this thuggery has exposed many as thoughtless simpletons, it has also uncovered a lion that still lives in the heart of man, it has uncovered a strength we forgot we had, an animal within we forgot we needed. This intellectual tyranny has awakened within this nation the very thing which gave us the name, the home of the brave. And that roar of awakened bravery isn’t going anywhere, it won't be tamed and it can't be caged. Lookout.
Hold Tension, Be Vast.Remember, restoration alone brings victory.