From: Randall R Randall (rrandall6@juno.com)
Date: Sat Apr 25 1998 - 17:34:11 MDT
--
On Sun, 26 Apr 1998 00:34:35 +0200 "Erik Moeller"
<flagg@oberberg-online.de> writes:
>I'm getting the feeling that I've sent off thousands of replies to this
list
>today. Well, I'm one of those guys that cannot leave a mail
>unanswered.
No doubt you'll get carpal-tunnel syndrome a day early. :)
>>Ah, yes, and such a look at history would have no doubt
>>given Benjamin Franklin a good idea as to whether, say,
>>horseless carraiges were likely.
>>History is so influenced by accident and starting conditions
>>that it is practically useless for determining the possible.
>
>You cannot compare technological innovation to social and economic
models.
I would say that you cannot consider social and economic
models without reference to the assumed technology, since
various models are more efficient at different levels and kinds
of technological progress.
>Most social and economic models of today can be found in the far past.
What is more interesting, to me, is that there seem to be only
a few models that work even relatively well, at our technology.
Nearly every nation, today, has a variation on the same basic
type of government, with one head of government, ostensibly
elected, and some governing body of more than a few people,
whatever it is called (congress, soviet, councilors, or parliament).
>Primitive cultures often have councils or single leaders, the Roman
Republic
>is often compared to democracy and so on. Although the names differ,
there
>are not many possible power constellations and economic systems.
I agree.
>World history should give some examples for free markets in larger
>societies, if they were possible and useful. According to my knowledge,
it
>doesn't.
First, there have been only a few "larger" societies, before
our era, because technology did not usually permit it. The
only one that I can think of in ancient times was China,
which also had the highest technology. Coincidence?
I also would say that initial conditions seem to have
played a large role in the emergence of the world we
have today.
It seems to me that centralized control is simply
not possible in a large-scale, high technology
(nanotech, AI, etc) society. The controllers must
have some advantage over the citizenry (numbers,
in putting down revolts at low tech; artillery or nukes
at high tech), and after the advent of nanotechnology,
it is difficult to see any way for them to retain that
advantage.
--digsig
Wolfkin.
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4QWnpfLcrSH93h9KRHcEBGb2HMTFiwPiabRerEenN
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