This….what Ryan said.

But now, how do we deal with the libertarians like Thiel whose business is to equip government with the power/tools to control us….isn’t that the libertarian also choosing philosophically to equip the government to make the social contract null and void.

And I get that the libertarians, like Thiel, laugh all the way to the bank as they have acquired sufficient power, $$$, and leverage/influence (through the capture and corruption of government institutions) to operate largely outside the confines of ‘governance’ that applies to us…that is, they subscribe as libertarians to something which resembles “rules for thee, but not for me.”

Along those lines, one might conclude that our oligarchs at heart are just libertarians who have harnessed the powers/institutions of democracy for money and influence with little regard for the potential impact on humanity. That is, they are ok at this stage with undermining the social contract through machinery that will make obsolete the ability of the average citizen to enjoy the “live and let live” approach.

And one must ask….these guys aren’t stupid. Oh to the contrary….do you think they would build the digital prison with an understanding that such power could fall into anyone’s hands (i.e. the next “democratically” elected person or candidate). Ha! They would not. They will build the system in a way that guarantees their prominence and ability to control. After all, libertarianism understands the value of not having to worry about the actions of others….technology is allowing them to move the benefits of the social contract to algorithms. But don’t expect them to be applicable across the board.

After all, the very introduction of the social contract into humanity is the result of the parties not being sure who would prevail in a “state of nature” which has historically been understood to be a state of war and survival of the fittest.

The tech/propaganda of today has then convinced they can win the war in the state of nature….and that tech is the key.

And they are willing to force others to comply with the requirement of infusing tech into all aspects of our lives to achieve their goals of dominance. Can they really still call themselves libertarians?