So what are the political/social solutions? And particularly, what are those solutions that might be actionable by this audience?
Let's take a few things off the table first. Voting is out for obvious reasons. Same goes for holding up signs in an approved free speech area. The occupy protests were a bit more effective at least in raising awareness but didn't upset the system much. Violence is a no for me personally on ethical grounds and also because history has shown violent revolution to achieve nothing but swap one form of tyranny for another.
What has actually worked in the past? Some examples that come to mind are the fight for Indian independence, the US labor movement and the US civil rights movement. These were mostly non-violent movements that deeply disrupted the status quo and created somewhat lasting change. They offer lots of practical examples.
Basically, we need to organize and act in a way that makes it impossible for bully governments and corporations to transact business as usual. Until that happens, there is no leverage, no opening for change.
Here's an idea: let's start a tech workers union. Imagine what a large scale tech worker strike would do to the economy. Now imagine if we were to participate in a general strike with industrial workers.
It would be most advantageous to organize now, while we still have a privileged status within the system. Let's not rest on that status and accept it as the bribe it is.
| One of the tactical mistake is not to "name" people on the other side this asymmetric warfare against the world police states, and put the individuals in the spotlight. The of agencies and governments is abstract and non-tangible. Unlike the "Snowdens, Mannings, Greenwalds and Mirandas" they do not have fear, and hence accountability.
| At the end of the day, these agencies are made of people, who make decisions. While the aim should be to keep the 'agencies' under check, the general population resisting them need to target (and I do not mean attack their home or family members or something like that, I only mean to put the individuals under the spotlight) to "name and shame" the entity with feelings, family, emotions, weaknesses etc. under scrutiny. Just as the Snowdens and the greenwalds choices come with with the consequences, so should be the case for the british officials who chose to take a stand.
