From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Tue Aug 21 2001 - 00:05:56 MDT
Samantha writes
> Lee Corbin wrote:
>
>> I've got an even better idea! We all know that education is the key.
>> We should forthwith open up in every city in America a number of
>> places where people can come in and read almost any book for FREE.
>> Not only that, but after proper licensing, they might take any of
>> the materials home, and study to their hearts' content. While perhaps
>> it wouldn't be appropriate to fund this at the national level, I very
>> much favor local municipalities getting behind this idea.
>
> Why is this a better idea than being able to read and study
> anything you want, whenever you want, from the convenience of
> your own home? All it would take is some sufficient room in the
> IP wars and a just a bit more cheap and ubiquitous hardware. We
> are almost there now.
Yes, yes!
>> Education is all that the under class needs! If each person were to
>> take full advantage of what would be available under my proposal,
>> poverty and ignorance would be greatly reduced.
>
> I disagree that education is all that is needed, unfortunately.
> I am not sure about the malleability of adult brains and the
> general equality of brains as far as general intelligence goes
> doesn't seem to exist. SO how can education be all that is
> needed?
Sorry, I was being sarcastic. (This miscommunication is what
invariably happens to me when I'm not being literal-minded,
of which, it was complained, I am too wont to do.)
In reality, of course, all these proposals---including yours
too, unfortunately---cannot, in the old phrase, "turn a sow's
ear into a silk purse". Two things will always be missing---
pace Singularity---namely: (1) the native talent, intelligence,
and temperament that distinguish thoughtful, productive, and
intelligent people the world over from the criminal, the
stupid, and the insane, and, (2) the traditions, cultural mores,
and memes that prosperous and technologically advanced segments
of societies all around the world always exhibit.
Eugenics (or genetic engineering) could accomplish (1), but for
(2), only time and the incremental processes of economic advance
fostered by freedom and liberty will help.
Lee
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