Oh, To Be Seen

May 11th, 2026

Currently Reading: The Employees by Olga Ravin, Translated by Martin Aitken

Currently Watching: The Great

Currently Listening: music for bugs-full album by camiidae

There is no such thing as Thoughtcrime.

I know this to be true, but when algorithms can predict exactly what you want to see with such precision, it makes it hard to believe that this corporation or this government doesn't know what you are thinking. Especially when the person in question is not using a dumb phone and faraday cages or infrared blocking glasses.

Everything with a camera is suspect. I used to cover the webcam on my computer. I'm about to do that again. I'll also have to block the cameras on my phone. However, I can't block the flock cameras or deface my neighbor's ring camera so it all feels pointless to do the personal security thing.

Let's face it.

If I were someone who would go up against the government or corporations or even my neighbor with the ring camera, I'd have to be willing to be seen going against the government or corporations or my neighbor. There are no private conversations. There haven't been for most of my lifetime, if not all of it.

I'm reading the audiobook of They Thought They Were Free: The Germans 1933-45 by Milton Mayer. They were also scared to do anything. Why would they go against their neighbor? They were law abiding citizens. When the synagogue was burned down in their town, some people reached their limit. But they did nothing. They said nothing. The arsonists didn't get arrested. They weren't in any trouble. And maybe, if there were no consequences, maybe it could even be a good thing. And that's how a synagogue burning becomes normalized. When everyday people are too scared to speak out against Groupthink— even when the group may not all be thinking that.

Still, I'm scared.

Knowing inaction will encourage the oligarchy is not enough to free me from the fear of consequences.

In Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm by Kazu Haga, Haga describes the common practice at nonviolent protests to grade particupants on a green, yellow, red scale. How far are you willing to go for the cause?

Most people are green. These are your new protesters, primarily. People who are needed to build up the numbers and visibility of the cause. These are fair–weather protesters. They do not want to see violence or get arrested. They are not prepared to face anything more than a social consequence for being there.

Yellow protesters are willing to face some pushback by police, maybe even willing to get arrested for misdemeanors or small crimes in an effort to make the cause more visible and to push their agenda. These protesters tend to have more experience protesting, and are ready to do something more.

The red protesters are willing to do anything and face any consequence for their cause. They will stay when the protest turns violent. When the nonlethal crowd control measures are switched to lethal methods. When the crime may keep them imprisoned for months or years. They will give their lives for the cause.

It would be really cool to be red, but I'm green. I'm even lighter than green. I rarely show up.

I'm trying to live in a system that does not care if I am alive or not. This country was built on the basis of slavery and cannot funciton without a class of less–than–people. I'm stocking up on canned goods. I'm hunkering down. I'm waiting for this all to blow over.

I know it won't blow over without a lot of reds making a lot of sacrifices for me. Even though I probably don't deserve it.

I'm adding some links that might be a good read.

Thoughtcrime isn't real. Neither is Thoughtactivism. What will make me act?

--Beacon