From: Adrian Tymes (wingcat@pacbell.net)
Date: Wed Apr 05 2000 - 20:59:09 MDT
Anders Sandberg wrote:
> Adrian Tymes <wingcat@pacbell.net> writes:
> > Just a theory, but maybe...
> >
> > * In order to effectively use these technologies, one must acquire a
> > lot of knowledge.
> > * In the process of acquiring said knowledge, people typically learn of
> > ways to solve problems better (cheaper/faster/more effective) than
> > violence and mass slaughter.
> > * By the time one amasses the facilities and knowledge to actually use
> > these in a terrorist capacity, one has usually moved beyond terrorist
> > tactics and onto tactics that actually accomplish whatever ends were
> > desired. (Exception: if one is extremely devoted to a cause that
> > acknolwedges no solution except death to one's enemies, for instance
> > with the Iraqi weapons labs.)
> >
> > Does this seem plausible, or is there some major logic hole that I'm not
> > seeing?
>
> I'm not sure, but isn't the fact that several major dictators have got
> quite solid academic educations a problem for this model? I seem to
> recall that Pol Pot went to Sorbonne, the current Bhutan junta to
> Harvard and so on. Of course, they might have majored in the wrong
> specialities :-)
Well...it takes a different mentality to lead an army of ignorant
buillies, than to oversee a group of educated scientists. Quite
probably, almost any person on this list - on the slightly inaccurate
assumption that this list is representative of people who are at least
slightly informed about the most powerful new technologies of today -
would not stand to have suggestions for improvements ignored and
unappreciated day after day if a better option (defection to the other
side with lots of classified info) were available.
> Overally, I think your model explains part of why we do not see hordes
> of well educated terrorists. But I still see enough engineers with
> good knowledge of engineering and an apalling lack of sociology to
> make me suspect there are other reasons too.
The pursuit of knowledge and true power makes one less interested in the
pursuit of power over people?
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