I would cheer on the guillotine much more than the average person, but let’s be honest about what material conditions are required.
The French poor were paying 60% of their income on bread. That was not enough for guillotines. Only after a poor harvest, and added mismanagement, the prices rose to 80% of their income- only then did heads start to roll.
There were no guillotines in the great depression (probably in large part thanks to The New Deal). So for Americans to deploy a guillotine, it would require an economic collapse worse than the great depression.
Frankly, many of us will starve before Musk’s head is in a basket.
I feel like technology tips the scale against a popular uprising pretty hard. You have sophisticated mass surveillance systems to track everyone, fully or semi automated drones and robots to deter or kill us. Automated oppression has already been deployed around the world successfully, and these same companies are behind much of it. There’s no reason to think the default here is that the people win such a conflict and secure a right to live.
Simple. Stride towards the guillotine, cheered on by millions of unemployed proles who ain’t taking it no more
I would cheer on the guillotine much more than the average person, but let’s be honest about what material conditions are required.
The French poor were paying 60% of their income on bread. That was not enough for guillotines. Only after a poor harvest, and added mismanagement, the prices rose to 80% of their income- only then did heads start to roll.
There were no guillotines in the great depression (probably in large part thanks to The New Deal). So for Americans to deploy a guillotine, it would require an economic collapse worse than the great depression.
Frankly, many of us will starve before Musk’s head is in a basket.
Nah, people are much more entitled now.
Mass unemployment will do it.
I feel like technology tips the scale against a popular uprising pretty hard. You have sophisticated mass surveillance systems to track everyone, fully or semi automated drones and robots to deter or kill us. Automated oppression has already been deployed around the world successfully, and these same companies are behind much of it. There’s no reason to think the default here is that the people win such a conflict and secure a right to live.