this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2024
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Full blown essay like answers are more than welcomed. What does the 'ruling class' gains from surveiling it's own population. What do they fear the most? What there is to lose, what there is to gain?

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Slightly less cynical take, to prevent terror attacks. Hear me out, I promise I’ll get cynical again. Terror attacks are bad for business and reduce citizens’ confidence in their leadership which is also bad for business and remaining in power.

So yeah basically money and power at the end of the day. That said, I do think there are many people in the surveillance apparatus that do so because they want to protect people, I just don’t find that the ends justify the means.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Agreed, I would add that the good-intentioned politicians only see the medium term benefits of avoiding terrorism and don't consider enough that the system they are building may be used by future governments against democracy. It's a kind of democracy cockiness to think that institutions will prevent power abuse and that democracy will always prevail.