Beware Your Electric Tootbrush

[JOHN72]

Can it be related to electric penises? I mean, it is similar to an electric toothbrush. Heck, I'll have to check with my rubber ducky.

 

[verporchting]

I take great comfort in knowing there’s a big asteroid coming in hot with our names written on it. I just don’t know what’s taking it so long ….

 

[brian64]

Throughout history, regardless of where on the "right/left" spectrum they fell---from medieval kings and Industrial Revolution robber barons, to the 20th century's Soviet Union and North Korea---the People In Charge relied on information to become strong, establish themselves, and remain in control.

It is no longer necessary for those who seek power to have the support of an ideologically-driven group to collect information for them, however. Today, controlling people with fear and coercion is simply a matter of having access to electronic records.

In 2024, it is entirely possible to know with complete accuracy what a given individual ate for breakfast, how much he spent for it, where it was purchased, the bank where the funds were kept, how much is left in his refrigerator, when it will spoil, how many hours he spent at work, where he stopped on the way there, where he stopped on the way back, how fast he drove, how much he paid for the car, how many accident claims it has been involved in, whether or not traffic laws were broken, the brand of soap he showered with before going to work, who his friends are, who he has communicated with, his political preferences, his political affiliations, his state of physical health, his hobbies, the music he prefers, and on and on and on... The deeper one dives the more connections can be found and inferences that can be made and investigated, effectively without limit, branching endlessly.

And the pool of stockpiled information grows both wider and deeper every day.

Literally every second of every day.

The remarkable part is that most of the information wasn't extracted by force or supplied in response to an overt request. Most of the time, either knowingly or unknowingly (the "terms of service" user agreement), it was given freely by the individual himself. Often eagerly.

Mother Nature made short term benefit a powerful motivator. lol

As the founder of Facebook famously said in 2003:

Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard
Zuck: Just ask
Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SSNs
[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?
Zuck: People just submitted it.
Zuck: I don't know why.
Zuck: They "trust me"
Zuck: Dumb fucks

In short, the masses the aspiring rulers want to control are indirectly demanding to be controlled in an act of simultaneous acquiescence and bestowal. No invading armies needed. There is no longer any need to inspire and recruit followers from the Left/Right well that never runs dry.

In fact, those who are relentlessly driven to achieve large scale power and control over others never did care about a particular vision of society. Their "visions" were just a recruiting tool. A way to gather crowds who would chant their name. All they ever cared about, and all they ever will care about, is being in charge.

Their new weapon? The ability to freeze, confiscate, or otherwise control someone's bank account.

When the social-score/credit model of society is fully implemented, voicing awareness or concern about any of this---never mind criticizing it---will be suppressed by whatever means necessary, until one day the very idea that something's badly wrong will be impossible to conceptualize, never mind articulate.

Hey George...I'm guessing these types of psycho-control freaks would much prefer a poor and dependent populace over a self-reliant middle class.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

You know... now that I think about it, it would be nice if my toothbrush connected directly to my Only Fans.

Sorry Cosmic but you're gonna have to be a little clearer. The way I read your post makes it sound like you yourself are doing OnlyFans. Well are you?

 

[georged]

Hey George...I'm guessing these types of psycho-control freaks would much prefer a poor and dependent populace over a self-reliant middle class.

Huh???

You're suggesting that people forced to live hand-to-mouth and one day at a time by consuming products and services controlled and distributed by a small number of trillion-dollar corporate entities would be easier to control and exploit than a population of self-sufficient, industrious, and independent-minded ones?

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

 

[Daddypants]

Huh???

You're suggesting that people forced to live hand-to-mouth and one day at a time by consuming products and services controlled and distributed by a small number of trillion-dollar corporate entities would be easier to control and exploit than a population of self-sufficient, industrious, and independent-minded ones?

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

I’m pretty sure he’s agreeing with you, but what do I know? English is my second language. Texan is my first. Lol.

 

[verporchting]

Sorry Cosmic but you're gonna have to be a little clearer. The way I read your post makes it sound like you yourself are doing OnlyFans. Well are you?

Please god, no.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Surveilled? No, say it isn't happening. I search for a product on Google, say Golf Polo Shirts. The next time I look at Facebook, I see 5 ads in my feed for Golf Polo Shirts. But just a coincidence.

 

[Hillcrest]

Or a f'n pillow?

 

[sablebrush52]

Human ability to imagine and create new technology is exponentially greater than human ability to decide upon and then follow a moral code.

Twas thus before technology and nothing's changed.

 

[sablebrush52]

Wow, I feel old and dumb reading this thread! I'm grossly uninformed

Smartphones are reporting their owner's whereabouts anywhere from several hundred to a couple of thousand times each day. Your smartphone is reporting your location and activities anywhere from several hundred to a couple of thousand times a day. Isn't that special?

 

[captainsousie]

I will exercise my superpower to say that most posts in this thread are political in nature... except of course for the electric penises thread.

 

[serpentx]

You're not obliged to give out your real information in most cases. I often fill out forms with my name and a variety of made up attributes. It's one area where pollution is beneficial

 

[Brendan]

But, I know that China hacking our devices has been on the news a lot. Hell, I am less worried about someone in China watching me than the guy who drives by in his plain white cargo van.

The guy in China just wants to buy your house, whereas white cargo van guy wants to rob it

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

I used to love technology but not so much anymore. I’d get a flip phone again but I’m tied to this smarty pants phone.

However I do avoid smart appliances and I’ve deleted most of my social media. I also ditched Amazon years ago for a number of reasons.

I’m also not excited to buy my next car as I really hate infotainment systems and I think Teslas are garbage boondoggles for people with too much money and think they know more than anyone else.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I’m also not excited to buy my next car as I really hate infotainment systems

I am not so much against technology per se... just tying things to the internet. However, I plan to keep my truck going till I die. I can just buy a new block and do the overhaul myself in the front yard, but I care nothing about having an on board computer, hybrid, or any of that fancy stuff in my vehicle.
I'm not anti-environment, I'm just against EVs because I want full control over what I do to my vehicle without worrying about it one day becoming unserviceable like a phone, forcing me to get a new one.

 

[Briar Lee]

You have to love a country where we all pay about a thousand dollars for a fancy electric pocket watch with a built in phone that allows the world to spy on us constantly.

If we were flat broke without a phone or an electric toothbrush we’d have more privacy than we wanted.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Edit.

 

[kcghost]

Well we have to be scared of something don't we?? I mean the scammers and internet goofballs would have to get real jobs if we didn't.

 

[proteus]

Hmmm the AI Smart Electric Pipe. Controlled with your phone. To set the optimum temperature, packing, nic strength and room note just connect with your Bluetooth. It learns your smoking habits and makes each session the perfect experience. And then it reports you to the government and health care companies.