Safeguard Against Tyranny
Wednesday, June 28th, 2006As I read this article in the Washington Post, the shadow of a voice echoes in my head. The rumblings about the NY Times' disclosure of yet another secret program of Cheney-esque subterfuge of sifting through banking records, and the reaction to the story by the Conservatives, reminds me of a snippet of wisdom gleaned through a favorite form of entertainment. The voice says:
"As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth's final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.
– Commissioner Pravin Lal
"U.N. Declaration of Rights"
Who is this person? A character in a favorite computer game: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri , circa 1999. The premise of this episode in the "Civilization" franchise is of a human seedship arriving at a new planet to colonize, but during the trip, the crew broke into ideological factions, each to found it's new colony in its own image. A decent storyline. the game is full of thoughtful takes on our current political conundrums, societal ills, and human nature.
But this particular quote is chilling in its portrayal of events not yet occurring. Makes you think…