Some Interesting Things I Read Today (2 April)

I don't want to take notes on these, but I do want to keep track of and share some of the interesting things that I've read. (I'm not going to bother keeping track of things that felt annoying or awful to me.)

Using Cory Doctorow's usage of Audre Lorde as a jumping off point, Tarakiyee delves into the context and history of Audre Lordes comments on “the master's tools” and how it is utilised in tech. This particular quote is something that I like, and I think it'll stick with me (probably because it feeds into my frustration for people using the work of others as a means to shut people up):

From my perspective, in free software and adjacent communities, the phrase has taken on a life entirely detached from its origins. I myself have probably engaged with it that way, to be completely honest. Micah White described it as “the atomic bomb of discussion enders,” a phrase so potent it can be applied to absolutely any argument about strategy and method, often by people who have never encountered the full speech. White's concern is not with Lorde's argument but with what has been done to it: a revolutionary provocation flattened into a reflexive shutdown. It shows up most often as a thought-terminating cliché: using corporate infrastructure, proprietary platforms, or mainstream legal mechanisms to advance liberation goals is self-defeating by definition. The master's tools. End of conversation.

Somewhat useful, though I feel that it is lacking because it doesn't do enough to recognise that even centralising around the government (not just military or law enforcement*) enables technofascism. Seems like it could be a good starting point, but it really needs to engage specifically with governments and not just some of the institutions they offer.

This also includes that she needs to have people think about connections between corporations and other institutions (e.g., Palantir's use in health services).

I feel similarly about the post she wrote previously, trying to figure out how to define technofascism.

Greenwashing is always something I'm reading about when it comes up, especially because it's such a major problem. There's also one on a “green” and “privacy-focused” search engine that added AI, despite the fact that their claims were nonsense.

I don't think regulations are going to save us, so I don't agree with those proposals because it's so easy to undo policy (as we see everywhere). I really do think more direct action and dismantling of these industries and companies is the best way to deal with this.