Brave New (wired) World?

Should we be afraid of our Brave New World?

Quite possibly? In this world Huxley would see his dystopian vision writ large in our culture, our society of the 'brave' individuals.

Quoting Betjeman 'it's not their fault they do not know the birdsong from the radio' we are sleepwalking towards a digital totalitarianism and in the faltering steps of the infant 'AI' we are welded to our technology. Perhaps it is too late for change? We have gone too far and we cannot put the genie back into into the bottle?

What is quite terrifying is our willingness to be sheep and drink the Kool Aid. Digital propaganda is far more effective than anything that the 'poison dwarf' Dr. Goebbels could ever have used. As Huxley said nuclear power can be used for good or evil, and technology is truly a dual use weapon.

I would argue that our 'Soma' the drug that according to Huxley could be used to make us feel good, is the internet. I'm addicted to the Internet and it is an incredibly fickle thing. It is a Chimera.

Huxley argued that dictators get the will of the people by the use of propaganda. Now digital media is a way to propagate the will of those who want to enslave us. And as Huxley said our 'leaders' merely have to look good and look 'sincere' look at BoJo for instance. Maybe a bad example?

Democracy truly does rely on people voting rationally and now our leaders have a mechanism of frightening power that works on the unconcious and stops our voting on concious rational grounds.

So Boris and his chums can have their day by the Seaside. Welcome to our digital Brave New World!