Why (and When) I Become an 'Activist' Against Corruption and Abuse
Probably "too late" for the US to recover; it moreover broadens its attack on the press elsewhere
When I was a teenager I realised that I loved writing about things, especially technical things. I also wrote code, but adding useful comments and documentation became like a "hobby" (something to type on a PDA in a plane for instance). In my early 20s I even got paid to write articles about technology, so technically one could say I was a "tech journalist". That was 2 decades ago.
Just over 19 years ago I started writing in this site (I had, prior to that, already written in my own site, since around 2001). My writings caused changes and inspired people to take actions, e.g. to "boycott Novell". We had many other success stories, including in the area of patent law. I also received my share of SLAPPs from people I criticised; that never scared me, as I most lost my "fear gene" when I was about 22. I did what was right and if some people didn't like that, well... that's their issue. They're not going to stop me writing.
Some people died young for their writing (firing line); death for writing is very rare where I live. It seldom happens, but sometimes it does happen.
She was killed at the age of 37. José Rizal was murdered by the regime at the age of 35 for "sedition". He merely wrote things.
Writing like a "parrot" isn't worth anything; those who are not parrots get ousted or marginalised (we're noticed that after Tim Schwab stopped writing for The Nation that same site, The Nation, started doing puff pieces about - or for - the person Schwab criticised a lot - we saw the same at The Verge; Bill Epsteingate basically 'killed' and still 'kills' critical journalists).
Common sense says, to paraphrase Orwell, publishing or journalism is about covering things that someone does not want covered. Everything else is PR (PRopaganda or Public Relations). And along similar lines, if nobody obstructs or tries to obstruct what you publish, then maybe you're not doing a good enough job.
Efforts to curtail journalists are a sign that they're both effective and on the right track. This was 3 days ago:
This is what happens when countries put up with dictatorship:
The dictatorship bans criticism of the dictatorship. That's when there's a deadlock. It might be "too late" to correct at this point.
The EPO has this problem right now; it got hijacked by a "Mafia" that is high on cocaine. It also bribes the people who are meant to oversee its behaviour/conduct.
Writing freely and honestly is therefore an emancipating force that is imperative in societies that guard against dictatorship.
It's not really "activism" but the natural practice of exercising one's civil duties and pursuing collective needs. █