ThirstyFish

Yesterday, I wrote about the Twitter ban in Turkey imposed by a Prime Minister who believes he knows what's best for his people. "His people"? In an earlier post I wrote about Walter Lippmann who said most Americans can neither "understand nor influence the very events upon which their lives and happiness are known to depend". In 1995, Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs told Business Week: "A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them". What's with people that claim to know what is best for us?

People actually know what they want and what is best for them, but are poor communicators of it. The real issue is false choice. Business, political and intellectual leaders, through their market, political or propaganda dominance, almost invariable reduce alternatives, and create the illusion that we "need" them or their services. The power and charisma to "convince anyone of anything". I'm sure there is more "choice" than Republicans or Democrats, Apple or Google or Microsoft, Erdogan or Gulen.

It was recently revealed that Microsoft, Google, Apple and other tech companies sold us out to the NSA, although they had previously denied it! The revolving door between governments and corporations can only be fairly labeled as a conspiracy. It's about "what is best for them", not us.