<nettime> tensions within the bay area elites

[Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>]

Dear nettimers,

I know, there are tons of examples of this. I just want to know more what you think of it, in particular if you happen to live there, or come from the Bay Area.

To me, it is somehow super clear that Facebook is evil. Not hard to understand. But Google? Why are tensions rising so high lately around them? Look at the tone of the Cory Doctorow blog post to Boing Boing… Don't get me wrong. But have they really gone down lately? In my humble view they are as evil as were a decade ago... What happened? Have we changed?

Yours, Geert

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Eric Schmidt, war crimes apologist and colossal hypocrite

Cory Doctorow at 6:00 pm Wed, May 7, 2014

Just a reminder that Google CEO Eric Schmidt is a colossal hypocrite and an apologist for war crimes:

“Some people will cheer for the end of control that connectivity and data-rich environments engender. They are the people who believe that data wants to be free and that greater transparency in all things will bring about a more just, safe and free world. For a time, WikiLeaks' cofounder Julian Assange was the world's most visible ambassador for this cause, but supporters of WikiLeaks and the values it champions come in all stripes, including right-wing libertarians, far-left liberals and apolitical technology enthusiasts, While they don't always agree on tactics, to them, data permanence is a failsafe for society. Despite some of the known negative consequences of this movements (threats to individual security, ruined reputations and diplomatic chaos), some free-information activists believe the absence of a delete button ultimately strengthens humanity's progress toward greater equality, productivity and self-determination. We believe, however, that this is a dangerous model, especially given that there is always going to be  someone with bad judgment who releases information that will get people killed. This is why governments have systems and valuable regulations in place that, while imperfect, should continue to govern who gets to make the decision about what is classified and what is not.”

- Google CEO Eric Schmidt, on whistleblowers, from "The New Digital Age," written with Jared Cohen, another Googler.

This is the man who said, "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place" (but flipped out when Cnet performed the most perfunctory of doxxings on him), but whose position, when it comes to leaks detailing everything from the indiscriminate killing of civilians to criminal mass-surveillance of whole nations (and massive cyberattacks on his own company) is that grownups know what they're doing and it's not up to the "far left," and "right wing libertarians" to publish the truth and hold powerful criminals to account.

In short: if Google outs you through a "Real Names" policy on G+, maybe you just shouldn't be gay, or maybe you shouldn't be hiding that fact from your violent and intolerant neighbors. But if a whistleblower or a reporter outs an elected official for gross corruption and war crimes, she's an irresponsible child who's taken the law into her own hands and should know better.


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