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[kummerspeck]

I use Twitter to follow pokemon, dictators, and people from Star Wars.

[Super Joe]

haha way to have strong opinions about thing. fuck you.

[William Broom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/14/facebook

This article truly opened my eyes. I now understand that Facebook is a libertarian plot to destroy the natural world and replace humanity with immortal robots.

[GregWS]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/14/facebook

This article truly opened my eyes. I now understand that Facebook is a libertarian plot to destroy the natural world and replace humanity with immortal robots.

:D

Hey, did that article include the thing about how he wants to build floating libertarian ocean cities?  Because if not, I remember reading an article a few months later about that.  And I think part of the article was like "someone send this man a copy of Bioshock."  :D

[Paul Eres]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/14/facebook

This article truly opened my eyes. I now understand that Facebook is a libertarian plot to destroy the natural world and replace humanity with immortal robots.

That article is satire, right? It's kind of hard to tell on cursory examination. Seems like it might be though.

[William Broom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/14/facebook

This article truly opened my eyes. I now understand that Facebook is a libertarian plot to destroy the natural world and replace humanity with immortal robots.

That article is satire, right? It's kind of hard to tell on cursory examination. Seems like it might be though.

I don't think so... The Guardian is certainly a serious newspaper.

[Paul Eres]

I don't think any newspaper is serious. And every newspaper has satire now and then.

Even if it's not satire though, I think it's totally misusing the word libertarian -- in the libertarian circles I've seen, they all think government spying on them is bad too and are just as paranoid about it as that article is. Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing to be paranoid about it, just that it's a misuse of words to call Facebook a neoconservative libertarian conspiracy. That's kind of like calling the pope an christian atheist conspiracy.

[Movius]

Even if it's not satire though, I think it's totally misusing the word libertarian -- in the libertarian circles I've seen, they all think government spying on them is bad too and are just as paranoid about it as that article is.

The word Libertarian isn't used much outside of US politics, and if it is, it's generally relating to something different. (Just like the word "Liberal" has three different, equally incorrect, meanings in Australia, USA & the UK.)

Here in Australia, 99% percent of the time its used in the term "Civil Libertarian."  Generally, this is the token walking-strawman wheeled out to give the illusion of balance for news stories about the government being TOUGH ON CRIME or similar.

If they do have some notion of the American political party, its generally imagined as some sort of bizarre  clandestine gathering of billionaire oil-tycoon types that are all to the right of the republicans.

It wouldn't surprise me if it were similar in the UK and that this author refers to the latter stereotype. Which would sit nicely with the neoconservative conspiracy theory.

That said, this article is hilarious.

[Paul Eres]

Ah, understandable. For those outside the US, the Libertarian party tend to be to the right of Republicans on economic issues, and to the left of the Democratic party on civil issues -- i.e. they're for gay marriage rights, drug legalization, prostitution legalization, even legalization of hard drugs and polygamy and so on and so forth, and are against all wars except strict self-defense (so are against every war the US engaged in since WWII) but also like gun rights, tend to think monopolies are beneficial and that the market would do everything right if left alone, and want to get rid of welfare, public schools, Medicare/Medicaid, as many taxes as possible, etc. It's the largest third-party here, slightly larger than the Green party.

[GregWS]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/14/facebook

This article truly opened my eyes. I now understand that Facebook is a libertarian plot to destroy the natural world and replace humanity with immortal robots.

That article is satire, right? It's kind of hard to tell on cursory examination. Seems like it might be though.

I don't think so... The Guardian is certainly a serious newspaper.

Yeah, that's what I find crazy about it.  The Guardian wouldn't risk it's reputation posting rumour, so that stuff/background is definitely researched/true.

[Paul Eres]

Well, I'm sure the background info is factually true, it's just that the interpretations are a bit off. (but that's common in newspapers)

[GregWS]

Interpretation?  Even if you ignore almost all of what the guy says beyond the basic facts, those basic facts would still be deeply troubling to many people.

[Paul Eres]

Yes, but they aren't surprising to me. And the interpretation was *really* a stretch based on the facts.