blebaford

Hi Sir Berners-Lee Tim,

In his 2012 book Cypherpunks, Julian Assange wrote, "the Internet is a threat to human civilization." He was referring to the great potential for surveillance and control of people. To what degree do you agree with that statement, and what can we do to ensure the Internet of the future supports life, freedom, and autonomy?

In this context, "the establishment" refers to the current elites of the Democratic and Republican party who have the most power and money, and the institutions that support them (the DNC for example). And they form a sort of cadre, agreeing on a lot of topics like foreign policy and bailing out the banks. The Clintons, John Kerry, and Nancy Pelosi are examples of establishment Democrats. The Bush family, John Boenher, and Richard Nixon are examples of establishment Republicans.

It is a "trendy" thing to say because millennials have lived through Bush and Obama, and they see that neither major party can be counted on to make the right decisions. So there is a need to further distinguish between establishment Democrats, who support things like state surveillance, the War on Drugs, corporate welfare, drone strikes, etc. and the progressive Democrats who oppose those things.

Hey Sir Berners-Lee,

In your opinion, what is the most important thing that has to happen to make the Internet free from censorship and surveillance? Are the most effective solutions technological, or political?