Alternative histories

MJM has a fun alternative history of digital content and the internet that inspires me to think of what could have been, and what will be.

Although I think it's much too much to expect Americans to embrace Change so freely, it didn't have to be this way.  Once upon a time this was a country that valued freedom enough to fight for it.  But with the internet, it's as if we had cars that could move at the speed of light, but set up speed limit signs everywhere that limited them to 20 MPH.  We fear change.

By "we" of course I mean "they" who run the entertainment industry in this country--a very politically powerful industry because of course they control our minds.  We are very easily influenced, but once influenced, very hard to change (PDF).  This is not solely an American trait.  We just have more power than we can really handle, so it matters more.

I kinda wish we could all be like Hunter S. Thompson and see the solution to all our problems lies with going faster.  But then again I suppose that would be ridiculously dangerous, reckless, and probably even immoral.   We can't all be freaks.  I guess.

Unfortunately "they" easily influence most of "us" because we are not prepared to really think for ourselves.  We even call ourselves "pirates" when we download stuff from the internet.  How did they do that?

Easy--repetition.  And so it goes.  Repeat after me: piracy is good for all people, especially those who create.