11.2 Omnibenevolence Doesn’t Exist—It’s an Illusion, Despotism
229
can’t guarantee safety. The same applies to security. Organized crime using digital
backdoors (such as “zero day exploits”) causes an exponential increase of cybercrime,
which currently produces losses of $3 trillion per year.
13
The attempt to control individuals may have even caused an increasing loss of
control. Indeed, studies show that extremism and crime often result from a failure
to integrate communities of minorities or migrants into society (i.e. from socioeconomic marginalization and a failure to create a culture of mutual respect).
14
Control is certainly not a good substitute for trust.
15 Whoever wields power must
carefully avoid violating widely accepted moral, cultural or legal values, as this can
seriously undermine trust, legitimacy, and power. In the long run, this can substantially weaken the credibility of companies and governments and their core interests.
It might even produce a legitimacy crisis and loss of control.
I have further shown that, in a multi-cultural world, the use of coercive means tends
to be counter-productive. Therefore, power based on force tends to be unstable in
the long run. Constructive power, in contrast, requires citizen consent and a trustful,
symbiotic relationship, in which all parties, including citizens, benefit. Thus, we
need institutions that can help us to establish and maintain a proper balance between
various interests and to foster the self-organization of our society and economy.
11.3 Time for a New Approach
Where will the digital revolution take us? (see Appendix 11.1) Due to many instances
of misuse, public trust in conventional Big Data uses has been undermined. But
the digital revolution does not necessarily mean that we must forfeit our human
rights, decision-making autonomy, dignity, and democracy. There are better ways to
create social order and socio-economic well-being than by amassing vast quantities
of sensitive personal data and establishing surveillance of all kinds—from speed
control to Internet control and, one day, perhaps even mind control.
16
To understand the complexity of our world and turn it into our advantage we need
collective intelligence, which requires diversity rather than conformity.
17 In order to
13 See http://www.cybersecurityintelligence.com/blog/cybhttps://www.cybersecurityintelligence.
com/blog/cybercrime-more-profitable-than-drug-trading--212.html; https://www.europol.europa.
eu/content/eu-serious-and-organised-crime-threat-assessment-socta; https://web.archive.org/web/
20190707082247/, http://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/24439-Cybercrime-Is-Now-More-Pro
fitable-Than-The-Drug-Trade.html; in the year 2009 the damage was $1 trillion http://www.cnet.
com/news/study-cybercrime-cost-firms-1-trillion-globally/.
14 Social networks and cultural norms can be very effective in creating social order and resilience.
15 And “trusting” means “not knowing”. In this connection, I recommend to watch the TEDx talk
by Detlef Fetchenhauer explaining “Six reasons why you should be more trustful”: https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=gZlzCc57qX4.
16 “Brain hacking” has recently become a scientific field.
17 I therefore, propose to establish a “Plurality University” to provide people with “digital literacy”
and the various skills they will need for the digital society to come.
229
can’t guarantee safety. The same applies to security. Organized crime using digital
backdoors (such as “zero day exploits”) causes an exponential increase of cybercrime,
which currently produces losses of $3 trillion per year.
13
The attempt to control individuals may have even caused an increasing loss of
control. Indeed, studies show that extremism and crime often result from a failure
to integrate communities of minorities or migrants into society (i.e. from socioeconomic marginalization and a failure to create a culture of mutual respect).
14
Control is certainly not a good substitute for trust.
15 Whoever wields power must
carefully avoid violating widely accepted moral, cultural or legal values, as this can
seriously undermine trust, legitimacy, and power. In the long run, this can substantially weaken the credibility of companies and governments and their core interests.
It might even produce a legitimacy crisis and loss of control.
I have further shown that, in a multi-cultural world, the use of coercive means tends
to be counter-productive. Therefore, power based on force tends to be unstable in
the long run. Constructive power, in contrast, requires citizen consent and a trustful,
symbiotic relationship, in which all parties, including citizens, benefit. Thus, we
need institutions that can help us to establish and maintain a proper balance between
various interests and to foster the self-organization of our society and economy.
11.3 Time for a New Approach
Where will the digital revolution take us? (see Appendix 11.1) Due to many instances
of misuse, public trust in conventional Big Data uses has been undermined. But
the digital revolution does not necessarily mean that we must forfeit our human
rights, decision-making autonomy, dignity, and democracy. There are better ways to
create social order and socio-economic well-being than by amassing vast quantities
of sensitive personal data and establishing surveillance of all kinds—from speed
control to Internet control and, one day, perhaps even mind control.
16
To understand the complexity of our world and turn it into our advantage we need
collective intelligence, which requires diversity rather than conformity.
17 In order to
13 See http://www.cybersecurityintelligence.com/blog/cybhttps://www.cybersecurityintelligence.
com/blog/cybercrime-more-profitable-than-drug-trading--212.html; https://www.europol.europa.
eu/content/eu-serious-and-organised-crime-threat-assessment-socta; https://web.archive.org/web/
20190707082247/, http://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/24439-Cybercrime-Is-Now-More-Pro
fitable-Than-The-Drug-Trade.html; in the year 2009 the damage was $1 trillion http://www.cnet.
com/news/study-cybercrime-cost-firms-1-trillion-globally/.
14 Social networks and cultural norms can be very effective in creating social order and resilience.
15 And “trusting” means “not knowing”. In this connection, I recommend to watch the TEDx talk
by Detlef Fetchenhauer explaining “Six reasons why you should be more trustful”: https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=gZlzCc57qX4.
16 “Brain hacking” has recently become a scientific field.
17 I therefore, propose to establish a “Plurality University” to provide people with “digital literacy”
and the various skills they will need for the digital society to come.