Agents Provocateurs

So, why is nobody talking about Aaron Swartz?

The articles about him on this platform are mostly in a language other than English. Why?

Aaron Swartz was the co-founder of Reddit. A humble man with humble intentions and he was killed for those humble intentions. Listen to what his Dad had to say about this. I really believe he was not the person that portrayed the values of some users of REDDIT. So be it. Life is like that. Who are we to be the judge? He certainly was not that type of person.

They called him a hacker. What does that even mean? Good or Evil?

He was not evil by any stretch of the imagination. Even through a medium such as a video, you can sense his goodness to humanity as a whole.

All he wanted to do was make available to the WORLD all information published by scientists. The scientists believed that too. So did Aaron. There is a group of people that is in the minority that wanted to monetize the work of hard-working, well-intentioned, scientists.

Sometimes you have to face death itself to speak up against these evil beings. Aaron paid the ultimate price. How about you? If you still sitting on the fence on that question, maybe the following quotes from one of my heroes will nudge you in the right direction? Here they are. Courtesy of the Borgen Project and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Nelson Mandela Quotes about Education.

Mandela recognized education as a great vehicle to bring equality of opportunity to the world. Here are nine Nelson Mandela quotes about education:

• “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.”
• “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
• “The power of education extends beyond the development of skills we need for economic success. It can contribute to nation-building and reconciliation.”
• “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”
• “Young people must take it upon themselves to ensure that they receive the highest education possible so that they can represent us well in future as future leaders.”
• “Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savour their songs.”
• “No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.”
• “Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”
• “It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to a good education. Those who do not believe this have small imaginations.”

The man’s inspiring life story has touched even more people’s lives than his quotes about education. The many funds and foundations he established during his lifetime continue to help and advocate for the causes he cared about; such causes include the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, The Nelson Mandela Foundation, and The Mandela Rhodes Foundation.

Technology will either control us or we will control Technology.

What will it be? If we leave it up to the few. The few will use technology to control the peasants. As they did since ancient times.

He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount. For the tigers you ride today, will eat you tomorrow. Be careful how you treat society, because society could be your tiger today but without any warning, within the blink of an eye, become like the tiger of ancient times. Treat humanity with respect or humanity will most certainly remember you as a collective. Be careful. Thread lightly. While you can.

— Ancient saying.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.