11 Days is the longest i’ve been without the internet since i first logged on in 96-97. That’s having lived through major typhoons, earthquakes in Taiwan - huge disasters - somehow - the internet stayed on. So why is Australia, a wealthy country, so far behind at Disaster Preparedness for its citizens?

That got me thinking about the fragility of the internet. Like everyone, it’s formed an integral part of my life. It’s not some add-on like it was in the 90's, it’s an essential service. I’d taken it’s thereness for granted - like The Sun is there - so it was an eye-opener when it was suddenly withdrawn indefinitely due to ... we don't know...

We're not allowed to know.

(Side question: I feel sad when i don't have the internet, but am i happier than i was before i knew the internet existed?)

This probably should be flagged for giving away state military secrets, but - pssst … if you want to knock out Australia’s internet for 11 days - you don’t need any of your fancy cyber-war hacking - just sneeze loudly.

If they ever do fix it, sneeze again.

If Australia got into a war with China tomorrow - the internet would go out (indefinitely) in the first five minutes.

Scheduled time of Completion: When the war is over (either way).

That is a real proposition - pretty sure people in Australia are not ready for that. (Btw, shelves at the big retailers would empty overnight coz it’s mostly made in China - including the shelves - which is another reason why i don't think Aus would support Taiwan in the mythical WW3 scenario.)

The internet is a double-edged sword.

One side: the data-centralization power that elites crave

The other: an alternative source of information/communication for humans - able to bypass MSM

If you then take that away - it’s like being rounded up and sent back to the lowest of the low of Plato’s caves to watch TV - after you’ve escaped that.

I know - coz i experienced it. Married at First Sight (MAFS) Reality TV shows, vacuous news delivered by vacuous, inaccessible Celebrities, sponsored by Telstra, Gambling, Alcohol, Insurance companies, McDonald's, Furniture/hardware stores, and Covid Safe.

A neat insight into the Aussie Model: Don’t spend money on prevention measures, simply buy expensive insurance for your entire life! Then go to Harvey Norman/Bunnings to replace it when it gets destroyed. Everyone makes a buck!

Meanwhile: get drunk, vaccinated, fat, and responsibly gamble your money back to us. (But Don't Smoke! Not weed, or normal cigarettes!)

If, during a war for example, we are forced back onto MSM (newspapers/TV/radio) for gleaning our version of reality … we’re fucked.

It’s not hard to see how switching the internet off for a while in select locations could be seen as a tool for preventing disinformation - during a time of crisis - by those protecting us

- for the common good -