The authoritarian playbook is in play
The “state of siege” (Democracy Now, Jan. 12) underway in Iran since Dec. 28 has taken an unprecedented turn. From Forbes, Jan. 13:
‘Kill Switch’—Iran Shuts Down Starlink Internet For First Time
We have not seen this before. Iran’s digital blackout has now deployed military jammers, reportedly supplied by Russia, to shut down access to Starlink Internet. This is a game-changer for the Plan-B connectivity frequently used by protesters and anti-regime activists when ordinary access to the internet is stopped.
… . Connectivity across Iran has now been reduced by as much as 99%.
Our April and May 2010 issues of the Socionomist identified the most likely strategies to be used by authoritarian regimes to exert societal control, including:
GOVERNMENTS WILL SHUT DOWN SECTIONS OF THE INTERNET
A government that feels threatened by its citizens usually clamps down on the information flow. This makes the Internet a prime authoritarian/anti-authoritarian battleground.
Through the lens of socionomics, the most shocking news of today was foreseeable—well in advance!
For a limited time, we’re offering the April 2010 Socionomist for just $15! This issue explores the past 300 years of the most notable examples of authoritarianism and finds one common thread throughout: they all occurred during the same expression of social mood.