[coxmi]

> I personally don’t think it’s part of some grand plan of control and brain washing.

I don't think the author is suggesting that either. It reads to me that he's suggesting that there are more systemic forces occurring that are disposing of meaningful individual interactions over time.

Individual players like Visa or Tesco aren't intentionally acting to destroy a city's culture, but they are thinking about their economic share of transactions, which happens to push society toward a different cultural norm as a side effect.

[simonbarker87]

Agree, sorry I should have been clearer - that brain washing comment was me preempting people saying that it’s part of a master plan for control etc.

I’ve never liked that argument as it those same people seem to believe that governments are totally inept whilst also being competent enough to secretly brain wash a population. Feels like Schrodinger’s government.

[coxmi]

Ah, sorry! I misread you in that case. Back to your original point, I completely agree about the increasing infantilisation of public space and it really says a lot about the British paternalism (or even mild authoritarianism) inherent in both politics and the wider economic sphere.

I'd guess the reason given for why a lot of these systems exist is largely for their speed of processing and other practical/efficiency concerns, but it's interesting to me that those ideas are in no sense neutral as they're often framed.