Hi Pascal,

It is interesting that we are lucky to live in a free society. Equally, I sometimes question if the freedom is illusory? Do Big Corporations influence what ice cream we buy and what clothes we choose to wear? Facebook and Googles business model is said to be surveillance (This is an interesting read: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/11/google-facebook-surveillance-privacy/). Other platforms such as YouTube and Twitter could be seen as seeking to influence our thoughts and ideas.

Here in the UK, I was in the last year to receive free Undergraduate Degree Education. I feel this has impacted us greatly. I question whether we are under a benevolent dictatorship rather than a true democracy.

Jake Gyllenhaal's quote in the movie Enemy is enlightening: "Control, it's all about control. Every dictatorship has one obsession and that's it. In ancient Rome they gave the people bread and circuses. They kept population busy with entertainment but other dictatorships used other strategies to control ideas, the knowledge... how do they do that? Lower education, they limit culture, censor information, they censor any means of individual expression and is important to remember this, that this is a pattern, that repeats itself through out history."

It resonates with the withdrawal of free undergraduate education here in the UK, the plethora of TV shows and Streaming options, Social Platforms (such as FB, Twitter, Tiktok, YouTube, Instagram et.al) can be seen as manipulating and categorising people for commercial and non commercial purposes, e.g. performing threat assessments of you as a potential hostile actor to the state.

I don't think reality is that dramatic- and, I am just spit balling some perspectives that may contradict our impression of living in a truly free society.

I look forward to reading more from you soon,

Made me think deeply which is a testament to your writing. Kudos.

Warm Regards,

Avi