@sun my hot take on this is that the powers that be want the benefits of a nominally free society but structural changes are forcing the lies/rot/contradictions to the surface.

Societies are being forced to choose between actually faithfully respecting the people or the tried and true model of serfdom with shiny new tech on top. Both paradigms destabilize the status quo so half -measures are at best about buying time and delusional denial at worst.

@sun they fund either complete trash money sinks like ESA or use the 'watering can principle' and give some little money to anyone who applies (including pleroma). there's zero strategy and founding a company that does anything with data is insanely annoying and risky in europe.