If you use VPN or proxy servers for online anonymity, consider yourself an enemy of the state

In a war, if you work for the enemy and hide your loyalties, you are an enemy combatant. <br><br>There is a silent, slow building war going on online. It's a cyberwar and it's as good a place as any other to start as the physical wars. <br><br>As I write this, I'm not sure how long freedom to say stupid shit online will last. The world seems to be becoming more and more tyrannical and it seems that democracy is becoming less common. In an oppressive regime, they don't usually allow dissent, or freedom of speech and they don't tolerate those who would oppose them. <br><br>We don't quite have that here in the US, but it seems that the political environment is becoming more tyrannical and less free. The amount of vitriol against those who don't agree with you is getting worse and worse. People are being fired, losing business and being harassed in public and online for voicing political beliefs that the other side doesn't like. The left is as bad at the right. <br><br>I'm not saying one is right and the other is wrong, I am saying that the world is becoming more divided and there is a silent war going on. The internet is it's front lines and the only front line that the average person can participate in. <br><br>If you use a proxy or VPN to conceal your identity online, you're putting on the uniform of one side of that war. The only way we are going to come to a conclusion is through discussion. If we continue to hide our identities, we will not be able to participate in that discussion. This is particularly true if one side, or the other, wins the war in the physical world. <br><br>I'm not advocating that you put your real name on Chambers, or anything like that. I'm saying that using proxy servers or VPNs makes you an enemy of the potential future government. If you are on one side, and you want to be on one side only, use a proxy server or VPN. But if you want to participate in national discussion, you need to be willing to put your side in jeopardy of being discovered. If you want to see what's happening, use something like Tor Browser.<br><br>If we can't discuss this in the clear, we won't be able to have a democratic discussion. If we don't have a democratic discussion, we can't have democratic elections. If we can't have democratic elections, we are no longer a democratic republic.