A dystopian future is nigh. Will a subscription-based and privacy-free society equal total freedom or eternal imprisonment?
“You’ll own nothing, and you’ll be happy!”
A famous catchphrase, coming from an essay of the Danish MP, Ida Auken, published at the World Economic Forum in 2003: “Welcome To 2030: I Own Nothing, Have No Privacy And Life Has Never Been Better.”
Here’s a short video explaining what this means:
I don’t know about you, but the moment I saw the video, shivers ran down my spine. You can’t possibly convince me that stripping everything from me is a good thing. How could a person be happy when all his possessions and privacy are taken away from them? Or, even worse, when they’re a guest at their own house? How could a person feel comfortable when their freedom is owned by third parties?
This sounds worse than prison to me. Aren’t those changes the total opposite of what humanity has been fighting for millennia? It’s exactly like in those movies where aliens captivate humans and use them as disposable slaves. Many conspiracy theorists were already talking about it a few years back, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. Nobody would, because they sounded like crazy conspiracists. However, this is as real as it can get, and there is a name for it. We call it: totalitarianism. If you don’t know what that means, here’s the explanation: “a form of government that attempts to assert total control over the lives of its citizens.”
Some prime examples of totalitarianism practitioners: A. Hitler, J. Stalin, K. II-Sung, B. Mussolini, and M. Zedong. All of them have been guilty of starting wars, murdering innocent people, and more. What could go wrong if we follow their infamous examples?
To sum this up, they’re trying to sell you this regime in the name of saving the environment and going “green.”. This, allegedly, will reduce the resources wasted on material things and unneeded services. No doubt, there is some benefit if everything works just like in theory. However, this never happens when profits and human nature stand in between. Despite the benefits, the choice should still be yours. This feels more like masked communism. And when was the last time communism worked perfectly? Never.
Humans should care about nature as long as it isn’t detrimental to their freedom and well-being. You can’t take people’s freedom in the name of being eco friendly. Instead, we should examine the scientific limits of saving the environment without stepping on the boundaries of human rights. Also, if there’s a plateau, we should accept it. Otherwise, we’ll end up sacrificing ourselves for the sake of nature. That defeats the whole purpose of saving the planet, doesn’t it?
Further below, the concept of this modern totalitarianism is analyzed into three parts:
- A subscription-based life;
- Lack of privacy;
- A social credit system.
1. A subscription-based life
It’s a well-established fact that humans are the only creatures that PAY to live on this planet. If they don’t, they simply die. Nobody will save you if you have no money. It’s the same as an astronaut getting lost and dying in cold space. Even so, we still appreciated the little comfort and freedom we could get. We also made sure to enforce it, in most places.
However, that freedom is soon going to be contested. The global agenda awaits no one. Next on the list is stripping away everything from us. Afterwards we will be forced and coerced to subscribe for every need we have. Including our kitchen hardware.
Somehow, not being able to own anything and depending solely on your government dictating how you live your life, will make you happy. This, according to them, makes things “free” to you, by using anything you like without owning it. But, remember the golden rule: if something is free, you’re the product!
Subscriptions aren’t always “evil.” Many times they solve practical problems, such as not having to deal with maintenance or repair of the product or service. The real problem, however, rises when it becomes obligatory. You could still argue that this is still beneficial on a larger scale. But what if I told you that “your” house and your car are going to be used by random people while you’re away? Frightening, isn’t it?
2. Lack of privacy
In this new (dys) utopia, you’re going to have no privacy. Everything you do, is going to be monitored. That will apply inside and outside of your house. Your phone and PC, and your physical conversations in the living room, are going to be monitored as well. Next, you’ll be tagged with a QR code and fitted with a microchip. As you can guess, your whereabouts will always be known. Everything about your life will be collected and stored. This, supposedly, will deliver better services to you and keep you safe.
I don’t buy any of that, and you shouldn’t either. Privacy is non-negotiable. I don’t want to listen to any proposal that compromises my privacy. It will always be a hard “No!” Anyone that tries to convince me otherwise, has no good intentions.
3. A social credit system
A social credit system is a system that allows a government or certain entity to rank people according to their social performance. Your behavior, political opinions, legal compliance, social apps activity, gaming habits, and how you talk to your neighbor, will affect your score.
Those social credits are known as the “good boy points.” If the government likes what you do, you get positive points. If not, then you’ll be put on the “naughty” list. What does this mean? It means you will lose access to your bank account, and the right to travel or use public transportation. You won’t be participating in social gatherings, and banned from most places. Inconceivable, isn’t it? Remember: that’s for your own good.
Real life dystopian examples
Let us look into some real life alarming examples currently being applied:
1. Car ownership and functions
Many car brands have already locked multiple car functionalities behind a pay-wall, despite the equipment being already installed. Apart from that, there is a plan to make electric vehicles swappable with other people’s vehicles. The ultimate goal is to completely relinquish any car ownership, and make people depend solely on public transportation or borrowed vehicles.
2. Housing
Housing is already unapproachable by new buyers, especially millennials and Gen-Z (zoomers). The prices are simply astronomical. The best option you have, is to buy a tiny apartment in the suburbs. Others are able only to afford a mobile home far away from the city that barely functions as intended.
Now, you won’t be able to do that either. You’re going to permanently live in places that will be used by other people throughout the day. Suddenly, paying rent doesn’t sound so bad compared to this nightmare.
3. Social Ranking
As already described above, the horror of a social credit system has already been implemented. Namely, in China. There is a ton of material you can check online regarding that matter, despite the efforts the Chinese government makes to censor them.
What was striking to me, was the look of fear on people knowing that even their neighbor would snitch on them for some “good boy” points. Generally, what you should keep in mind is that a social ranking system is there to control your life and take away your freedom. It’s masked imprisonment, and there’s no benefit to it.
Despite the system being active and running in China, do not think that the West is doing any better. They have other “persuasive” means, before the credit system is implemented.
4. Hardware ownership
In the future, not even your microwave is going to be yours. You’ll have to borrow it every time you need it. Next thing you know, not even my condoms will be mine.
5. Censorship
Active censorship is already taking place to the highest degree. Anything can be placed under the vague umbrella of “bigotry” and “racism”, to shut down anybody that opposes the current narrative. Cancel culture is getting worse, and our lives are already dictated by it. We can lose our jobs, or go to prison simply for expressing the “wrong” opinion online.
That doesn’t sound like freedom to me.
Where is the world heading? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about it?
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Haha that’s only the beginning.