I would like to suggest that voting provides a way out. If the NSA had a smaller budget, things might be better. If every branch of our military had a smaller budget, things might be better. Congressmen do listen to us, and if collectively we spoke against the military, there might be success.
Honestly I have no idea how to fight politically. I think we all feel powerless. But there are some things you can do. You can run a tor relay node. You can learn about these technologies and help development efforts. You can participate with Freenode and I2P. You can encrypt all of your connections end-to-end and avoid services that are known to cooperate with 3 letter agencies.
But no matter what angle you pick, you're going to be fighting up hill. It's going to suck, and you aren't going to feel like you're making any progress on your own. But if enough of us rally behind the technologies that protect our rights as human beings, then maybe we can reverse the tide.
I would tend to agree, but voting is just the first rung of what you might think of as a ladder of commitment:
Voting
Organizing others
Donating money to fund full-time campaigners
Volunteering for leadership positions/running for office
Each step on the ladder requires more commitment, and will therefore be taken by fewer people. But to succeed, a movement needs all of them.
If you vote, and nothing changes, and you're asking what comes next, maybe you're ready to move to the next rung. Start a meetup in your community. Give to the EFF or the ACLU. Run for office yourself, or identify a good person who should be running and help them do so.
I would like to suggest that voting provides a way out. If the NSA had a smaller budget, things might be better. If every branch of our military had a smaller budget, things might be better. Congressmen do listen to us, and if collectively we spoke against the military, there might be success.
Honestly I have no idea how to fight politically. I think we all feel powerless. But there are some things you can do. You can run a tor relay node. You can learn about these technologies and help development efforts. You can participate with Freenode and I2P. You can encrypt all of your connections end-to-end and avoid services that are known to cooperate with 3 letter agencies.
But no matter what angle you pick, you're going to be fighting up hill. It's going to suck, and you aren't going to feel like you're making any progress on your own. But if enough of us rally behind the technologies that protect our rights as human beings, then maybe we can reverse the tide.