4 ms·

Bioweapons also scare the bejesus out of "the establishment". Does that mean we should all be developing bioweapons?

A4ET8a8uTh0 5y ago
I think you misunderstood the core issue of my concern. My concern is not with the device establishment is scared of. My concern is with the fact that people, who appear to making decision about those devices know little to nothing about them. Half of them wouldn't know how to change a font in a document and yet they want to decide the path technology takes? It really is an extension of the dilemma presented by Douglas Adams: "To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job"
- user-the-name 5y ago
  > I think you misunderstood the core issue of my concern. Did I? You yourself said that your complaint about people's knowledge was a "side rant". I didn't care about your side rant, I responded on the actual topic.
  - A4ET8a8uTh0 5y ago
    I re-read what I wrote. You are right. In my head the two were connected even though it was more of an afterthought and not part of the original argument. I apologize for that. Regarding bio-weapons, assuming we will not end this civilization some other way, I do think that knowledge is a dangerous thing, but how are bio-weapons different from cryptography, 3d printing or nuclear fission. In a more practical sense, do you not think households may end up having gene editing tech in their garage, the way some are mining crypto now? More to the point, establishment is only scared of things that undermine its power. Does that make crypto inherently a bad thing?
    - user-the-name 5y ago
      > do you not think households may end up having gene editing tech in their garage Probably not, if that tech is ridiculously dangerous. We regulate a lot of dangerous things. It is a very good thing that we do. > More to the point, establishment is only scared of things that undermine its power. This is nonsense. This is a libertarian caricature of what "the establishment" is, and not reality.
      - A4ET8a8uTh0 5y ago
        It is possible that we have an issue with common definitions. What do you understand by establishment?

I think you misunderstood the core issue of my concern. My concern is not with the device establishment is scared of. My concern is with the fact that people, who appear to making decision about those devices know little to nothing about them. Half of them wouldn't know how to change a font in a document and yet they want to decide the path technology takes? It really is an extension of the dilemma presented by Douglas Adams: "To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job"

user-the-name 5y ago
> I think you misunderstood the core issue of my concern. Did I? You yourself said that your complaint about people's knowledge was a "side rant". I didn't care about your side rant, I responded on the actual topic.
- A4ET8a8uTh0 5y ago
  I re-read what I wrote. You are right. In my head the two were connected even though it was more of an afterthought and not part of the original argument. I apologize for that. Regarding bio-weapons, assuming we will not end this civilization some other way, I do think that knowledge is a dangerous thing, but how are bio-weapons different from cryptography, 3d printing or nuclear fission. In a more practical sense, do you not think households may end up having gene editing tech in their garage, the way some are mining crypto now? More to the point, establishment is only scared of things that undermine its power. Does that make crypto inherently a bad thing?
  - user-the-name 5y ago
    > do you not think households may end up having gene editing tech in their garage Probably not, if that tech is ridiculously dangerous. We regulate a lot of dangerous things. It is a very good thing that we do. > More to the point, establishment is only scared of things that undermine its power. This is nonsense. This is a libertarian caricature of what "the establishment" is, and not reality.
    - A4ET8a8uTh0 5y ago
      It is possible that we have an issue with common definitions. What do you understand by establishment?