Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple Inc, recently gave a speech that has immediately become infamous. I think this part perfectly summarizes everything (emphasis mine):
He clearly emphasizes how it's a question of morality, for example by saying:
The problem with huge megacorporations embracing quasi-religious ideological doctrine, and imposing its own moral values onto the population by abusing their power, ubiquitousness and marketshare, is that they can have a huge influence in society. A totalitarian influence that goes against people's fundamental rights, most prominently the right to free speech, which includes the right to receive any information without the impediment of the government or any other entity, such as a huge megacorporation.
It would be one thing if this was a small corporation which platforms affect a minuscule portion of the population. It's a completely different thing when it's a huge megacorporation that has a very significant marketshare of essential services and determines and influences the information that a good portion, even majority, of the population can share or receive.
And the scary thing is that Apple is by far not the only corporation engaging in this kind of morality policing and activism. This is corporatism of the worst kind.
But do you know what's even scarier? When government are starting to do the exact same thing. In other words, dictating, imposing and enforcing morality and moral values.
The primary function, duty and responsibility of a democratically elected government of a free country is to protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens, in addition to providing an economic framework for commerce, offer public services for citizens, and protect the country from foreign invaders.
The primary duty of a democratic government of a free country is not to dictate, impose and enforce morality onto the citizens. That's what totalitarian theocratic governments do, not what free democratic governments should be doing.
But this is where we are heading: Towards totalitarian quasi-theocratic governments and corporations, which will not only impose arbitrary morality onto the citizens, but will persecute, shun and punish those citizens that do not conform to these moral rules. We are quickly heading into a world where simply criticizing these moral values (which should be a fundamental right in a free constitutional democracy) will be punishable by law. Which is exactly what totalitarian theocratic regimes and police states do.
Indeed, criticizing the government and its policies has always been one of the most fundamental inalienable rights under the principle of free speech, and one of the key things that distinguish free democratic societies from totalitarian regimes. When this fundamental right is being limited and eroded, you know for certain the direction that we are heading.
"I believe the most sacred thing that each of us is given is our judgment, our morality, our own innate desire to separate right from wrong. Choosing to set that responsibility aside at a moment of trial is a sin."I just love the religious undertones. This is the most direct statement I have ever seen so far that social justice is, in fact, a religious doctrine, and that Silicon Valley tech megacorporations are adopting it as their official religion.
He clearly emphasizes how it's a question of morality, for example by saying:
"And as we showed this year, we won’t give a platform to violent conspiracy theorists on the app store. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. My friends, if we can’t be clear on moral questions like these, then we’ve got big problems."Well, I would have one question to ask Tim Cook: Who exactly elected you to decide on our behalf what is morally right, and what is morally wrong? Who elected you to decide on our behalf what we should or should not see and hear? Who exactly gave you the power to make these decisions on our behalf, and engage in censorship in order to protect these moral virtues that you advocate? Why are you trying to impose your morality onto us?
The problem with huge megacorporations embracing quasi-religious ideological doctrine, and imposing its own moral values onto the population by abusing their power, ubiquitousness and marketshare, is that they can have a huge influence in society. A totalitarian influence that goes against people's fundamental rights, most prominently the right to free speech, which includes the right to receive any information without the impediment of the government or any other entity, such as a huge megacorporation.
It would be one thing if this was a small corporation which platforms affect a minuscule portion of the population. It's a completely different thing when it's a huge megacorporation that has a very significant marketshare of essential services and determines and influences the information that a good portion, even majority, of the population can share or receive.
And the scary thing is that Apple is by far not the only corporation engaging in this kind of morality policing and activism. This is corporatism of the worst kind.
But do you know what's even scarier? When government are starting to do the exact same thing. In other words, dictating, imposing and enforcing morality and moral values.
The primary function, duty and responsibility of a democratically elected government of a free country is to protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens, in addition to providing an economic framework for commerce, offer public services for citizens, and protect the country from foreign invaders.
The primary duty of a democratic government of a free country is not to dictate, impose and enforce morality onto the citizens. That's what totalitarian theocratic governments do, not what free democratic governments should be doing.
But this is where we are heading: Towards totalitarian quasi-theocratic governments and corporations, which will not only impose arbitrary morality onto the citizens, but will persecute, shun and punish those citizens that do not conform to these moral rules. We are quickly heading into a world where simply criticizing these moral values (which should be a fundamental right in a free constitutional democracy) will be punishable by law. Which is exactly what totalitarian theocratic regimes and police states do.
Indeed, criticizing the government and its policies has always been one of the most fundamental inalienable rights under the principle of free speech, and one of the key things that distinguish free democratic societies from totalitarian regimes. When this fundamental right is being limited and eroded, you know for certain the direction that we are heading.
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