Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Freedom is not free!


The wiki black out to me felt like city lights receding, like i was spiraling down a rabbit hole losing sight and going into a thoughtless coma. I could not get information at a click anymore. Well maybe squandered resources but not whole information which is categorized the way I’d like to see it.It was only yesterday i realized how i depend on the internet for everything. My imagination is anyway restricted to posting things that do not involve the government, but now to get restricted information is pushing it.

In a war for supremacy and a thirst for power and also to stand out mainly; the govt- which is basically the brain dead fraternity, makes stupid decisions which affect millions. I'm not saying that this doesn’t affect them, it does but in ways they cannot fathom because these people have assistants for everything...to write their speeches to take their calls...so they only see the cause and not the effect in the big picture. These people with power and influence lack intellect and vision. Their opinion is not a measure among the common people...people who rely on free internet to go through daily life. To me the internet is a free space where i can share my thoughts and read others opinions, but apparently now the government has to okay my posts and only then can i share it.
I am not writing to complain about the flawed governments- but to highlight the new kind of ingratitude that exists.
We talk about freedom of speech of thought of religion and how is all that lost when it comes to information?

The internet is an architectural marvel of free information. People get degrees, learn musical instruments, read books, gather information and can get a lot done. It was developed to bring the world closer which is probably why we termed it the World Wide Web. It is so powerful that it brought down governments and this- in my opinion makes a certain section of the society uncomfortable. The right to information demands transparency and in society so fraught with insecurities and loop holes the internet is too powerful to exist without being tamed.

I'm going to end this with a quote that Alfred de Vigny in his 1832 drama Stello said "la race toujours maudite par les puissants de la terre" (The race which will always be cursed by the powerful ones of the earth)