Technology Paves the Road to Liberty

If you are waiting for your government to give you back any of the rights it's taken away, you'll likely be waiting a long time. For example; the federal government's fanatical war against a harmless medicinal herb has gone on since 1937 and shows few signs of letting up. In fact, the government's war on our liberties is only escalating: consider the fact that military surveillance drones spy on citizens in civilian airspace; roving paramilitary units (known as VIPER Teams) conduct warrantless searches on the highways; and has recently been given the green light to manage our health care for us.

Nevertheless, one area in which governments are failing (though not for lack of trying) to intercept liberties is the area of technology. Thanks to the unimaginable power of the internet, to say nothing of the global free market it creates, technology is outpacing governments' ability to control it. Here are few technological developments to come out in just the past few years that are helping citizens to regain their freedoms.

1. The Ubiquity of Cameras. The early morning of March 3rd, 1991, marks the beginning of the era of police accountability vis a vis cameras. A bystander by the name of George Holliday used his camera to record the police beating Rodney King, and the rest, as they say, is history. There is a reason why Judge Andrew Napolitano calls cameras the new gun: today, the cheapest of smart-phones include video cameras, and just about anyone anywhere can record anything. Not surprisingly, these cell phone cameras (and cheap handheld video cameras) have been used multiple times to record the police abusing and harassing citizens (see http://www.copblock.org). Governments are not necessarily warm to this idea; Illinois continues to harass and threaten with imprisonment those who would record the police.

2. Instant Dissemination of Video. Many police officers and government beaureaucrats persist in the idea that free speech can be stifled simply by confiscating damning footage (see here for an example). While that tactic might have worked in the past, nowadays, thanks to apps such as Qik and livestream.com, any and all footage can be tossed into the electronic ether to be copied and re-posted well before any judge can order its confiscation or destruction. Even better, if you combine an instant video app with your own dashboard camera, all of your encounters with the police can be uploaded instantly.

3. The TOR Network. Without delving too deeply into the technological specifics of it, suffice to say that the TOR Network is a means of inserting layers of encryption between an internet user and the website to which he/she is posting/visiting. This makes it more difficult for an oppressive government (say, China or Iran) to monitor or track down people who post and/or view "objectionable" content. Using the TOR network enables any user, anywhere, to freely view any website regardless of government censorship, as well as preventing governments from monitoring or tracking anyone's internet use.

4. The Bitcoin. This is the Big Daddy of liberty-oriented technological innovations. The Bitcoin is an entirely digital currency, based on open-source, peer-to-peer technology. As such, it is outside the reach of governments, banks, hackers, and anyone else who would try to prevent, monitor, or tax monetary transactions. And while at first blush Bitcoins appear to be little more than a geeky hobby (if not a way to deal in contraband), in fact Bicoins are gaining wide acceptance. In fact, Bitcoins can be spent on Amazon, eBay, and a variety of other retailers. Blogger Xeni Jardin is on the record as saying that Bitcoins will change the world. As of now I'm inclined to agree.

Peaceful activism remains the best option for those who would seek liberty in their lifetimes. Technology does not replace peaceful activism; it merely enhances it. These new technologies should not be considered the be-all end-all of liberty activism, but rather another tool in our belts.