I'm wondering how you think this process works. When you say:
> There are lots of very experienced people and resources allocated to this problem across the world
It sounds like a curing-cancer-style problem where what's needed is some scientific breakthrough for a specific problem... So... Who are these "very experienced people", and what "resources" are allocated, where? Or how far exactly is this "above my paygrade"?
Because this appears to me, fundamentally, a difference of opinion, or maybe just even priorities. If you get enough people to care, just watch how fast policies can change. And while I may have wasted my "career and life experience" on skills that disqualify me from this super-elite circle of "people allowed to care", my sorry excuse for a brain can't think of something more important than public advocacy of these issues, nor can it find fault with what John Oliver is doing.
Off the top of my head, examples of people who have more means and expertise than a random HN commenter:
1. nonprofits like EFF
2. investigative journalists who search for truth and expose corruption instead of writing emotional pieces telling people what to think and helplessly worry about.
3. software, hardware and network engineers building end-to-end secure systems as opposed to ones designed for mining user data which inadvertently (or deliberately, you decide ;)) end up being abused by spies and hackers.
OP was answering the question "What can I do–should I donate to the EFF or what". Your 1. and 2. directly depend on a public that is engaged, and arguably the people doing (3) also form their opinions based on publicly accessible journalism, including the John Oliver-pieces (which happen to be 30-minute exposés with lots of real journalism going into them, on mostly neglected topics like the injustice of court fees and bonds)
> There are lots of very experienced people and resources allocated to this problem across the world
It sounds like a curing-cancer-style problem where what's needed is some scientific breakthrough for a specific problem... So... Who are these "very experienced people", and what "resources" are allocated, where? Or how far exactly is this "above my paygrade"?
Because this appears to me, fundamentally, a difference of opinion, or maybe just even priorities. If you get enough people to care, just watch how fast policies can change. And while I may have wasted my "career and life experience" on skills that disqualify me from this super-elite circle of "people allowed to care", my sorry excuse for a brain can't think of something more important than public advocacy of these issues, nor can it find fault with what John Oliver is doing.
But, you know.. whatever.