>Never in history could a dictator know more of the communications of all his citizens
One must be incredibly naive to think only dictators have this capability and not democratically elected governments. Just start a protest and find out just how quickly the government unlocks Godlike surveillance capabilities to be used against you. Hell, even a Tweet might do in places like UK or Germany.
They don't even have to send the police to the streets to beat you up or throw you in a van like in the USSR, they can just debank you like the trucker protestors in Canada and the problem solves itself peacefully.
You are unfavourably reading things into my comment I did not say. Please consider this section of the HN guidelines:
> Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.
If someone uses a specific term (dictator), that does not automatically impyly they think the broader term (any government) doesn't apply. If I say "all dogs do eventually die" that does not imply I think that all other animals are immortal. This is basic logic.
And btw. I agree with your statements about democratically elected governments not being immune to abuse of surveilance power.
One must be incredibly naive to think only dictators have this capability and not democratically elected governments. Just start a protest and find out just how quickly the government unlocks Godlike surveillance capabilities to be used against you. Hell, even a Tweet might do in places like UK or Germany.
They don't even have to send the police to the streets to beat you up or throw you in a van like in the USSR, they can just debank you like the trucker protestors in Canada and the problem solves itself peacefully.