Deus Ex Writer Discusses 'Dangerous Technology'

Dan Weaver writes "One of the writers for the exceptionally good action RPG Deus Ex has authored a rather thought-provoking Salon article on the Bill-Joy theme of dangers posed by emergent technologies and the difficulties that police states (both pleasant and not-so-pleasant) encounter in dealing with them. In the light of revelations about China's tardiness and confusion in addressing the SARS epidemic, this article is particularly timely."

Comments

Trends, Big Brother, etc.

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

Here's a question that I'm mulling over as a result of reading the synopsis of this article. With all the literary and cinematic works that have been made which deal with a Big Brother-like state [for lack of a shorter term], why is it that the governments of the world are still able to move in the directions outlined in those works? It seems like no matter how embedded in our culture the idea that certain traits of governments are bad and that we must rally against them, these traits continue to crop up. Consider this, has the U.S. become more or less like the vision of 1984 since publication?

Re:Trends, Big Brother, etc.

[Angry White Guy]

It is because the people who are the most at risk are usually working too much to do anything about it, living from paycheque to paycheque. When you have your own problems, who cares if the government is picking on the immigrants. Who cares that e-mail's getting bugged? Who cares if some crack addict got the living sh*t kicked out of him for speeding in California. The other side of the coin is the guy who has enough money to live like a king, has influence in the community. Are they going to upset the boat? No, because its these laws that help keep them where they are. The balance of power is just that, a balance. You take too much, and the people have nothing. When they have nothing, then they have nothing to lose, and that's when civil revolt occurs. Read Macheiovelli's 'The Prince' for a much better understanding of what's going on in the world, and what has gone on in the world since we started walking upright.

So what

[Timesprout]

Mankind has been producing dangerous technology since we first learned to bang sticks and stones together. Responsible usage and control have worked for us so far.

Re:Fictional Writer

[L7_]

No.

You are almost saying that because he writes fiction he can't think about the state of the world. That seems a very limited view. I mean, what special knowledge MUST one have to be able to criticize or comment on something? The author, it seems, has made a life studying technology, its ramifications, and plausible futures. So, when commenting on said technology, I would actually not take his comments "with a grain of salt" but rather as an educated opinion of the state of the world's technology.

I can't think of a better background for a person to have to comment on the things that he is commenting on.