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On 2016-04-03 13:17, spike wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">It
used to be power was derived from differential control
of wealth. Now Orwell’s vision and Brin’s vision are
coming to pass, as power has become a derivative of
differential control of information.</span></p>
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<br>
But if that control is not reliable, power becomes unreliable.
(Cases in point: the Panama papers, the Unaoil scandal, the Snowden
revelations) The problem for the information-powerful is that the
differential can shift suddenly and unpredictably, which makes
long-term planning harder. Sure, they often have multiple sources of
power, but if one suddenly shifts and the newly empowered outsiders
start causing trouble about it this requires the use of the other
reserves too: they become less de facto powerful. <br>
<br>
One rational approach is to be short-term: assume a leak will
happen, squeeze out as much benefit as possible before it happens
and then hightail it. That doesn't lead to very well behaved
governance. Another approach is to try to secure the control, but
that is harder than it looks because the information infrastructure
is massively leaky (partially by design). The third is to make it so
that a loss of differential doesn't cause friction: yes, others now
know what you know, but you have such a good reputation that you can
still be ahead and regain the differential in some other domain. <br>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University</pre>
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