[Top Gun]

Does anyone else feel as outraged as I do that people could even consider this (I know its reported by faux news but the issue has recieved widespread coverage elswhere).

[Unknown Target]

****! No way, even if it is possibly false!

(Please excuse my French)

[Stunaep]

am I the only one to notice, that this is the THIRD topic with the name 'What is the world coming to.'.

[StratComm]

Hey, our world lives on fearmongering.  It's something we'll all have to deal with sooner or later.  Cudos to anyone who can look at this topic and see the absoulte stupidity of it.  And shame to anyone who actually buys one of those things.

[Dark_4ce]

You know, that kind of development scares me... I mean, after implanting you're kid with some sort of location device, what else will they come up with? A Neural Inhibitor? Something placed into the back of the neck, so if a kid is grounded and decides to "escape" the NI activates and basically makes the child pass out "harmlessly". Or perhaps a remote controlled Contraceptive device?!! So if you're worried about daddies girl getting pregnant you can just flip a switch and she'll be "safe". I'm telling you, if this chip goes into production, these other ideas might come into fruition. Its a scary world...

[Top Gun]

It already has, a company called applied digital solutions is selling them at the minute. They've been doing this sort of thing in pets for years.


I think the scariest thing about this is that it's being inflicted on childeren who really don't have any choice in the matter. If it was only for concenting adults it would be much less of an issue.

[CP5670]

This sounds okay, but control of the system should definitely be restricted to government agencies only (for tracking criminals and such) and citizens should not have access to the monitoring.

[WMCoolmon]

Ah, that's a pretty thought.

[Unknown Target]

Whoo, boy! Is it just me, or is no one else noticing that we're turning into the "controlled society" like in all the movies?

[CP5670]

That's what we have always been like.

[WMCoolmon]

Not really, no... I can find a few parallels to our current situation (the Empire, computers from the Matrix...) but few are truly close to now.

[CP5670]

Well, for the last millennium or so anyway; it is just that the methods of control have been different and there have been no "controllers."

[Unknown Target]

Have any of you seen "Imposter"? (Great flick, if you haven't, go check it out). That's what I mean.

[Dark_4ce]

Originally posted by CP5670
Well, for the last millennium or so anyway; it is just that the methods of control have been different and there have been no "controllers."

"The more things change the more they stay the same..."

I just love that phrase.

Originally posted by Unkown Target
Have any of you seen "Imposter"? (Great flick, if you haven't, go check it out). That's what I mean.

If you mean the Gary Sinise movie, yeah. Its ok. Lots of scenes ripped right out of other movies, along with of the costumes and props. Even has one of the worst space battles I've ever seen. And you don't see what the aliens look like. Its more like an Outer Limits episode. But apart from the obvious scene ripping and such, it had a good plot and was I guess a good movie.

[Top Gun]

Originally posted by CP5670
This sounds okay, but control of the system should definitely be restricted to government agencies only (for tracking criminals and such) and citizens should not have access to the monitoring.

Are you out of your mind? Anyone that values their liberty should take up arms at the slightest hint of this becoming mandatory.


Generally in the 20th century "control" has remained optional for those who wished to infect themselvs with the meme of religion.

[Stunaep]

The Matrix doesn't seem so sci-fi anymore now does it.

On a similar note, I heard about the GPS system on cell phones, which could be ordered by SMS, by even another person. Nice way of knowing who your girl/boyfriend/husband/wife is hanging out with when your not knowing.

[CP5670]

"The more things change the more they stay the same..."

hehe

Are you out of your mind? Anyone that values their liberty should take up arms at the slightest hint of this becoming mandatory.

Well, liberty by itself is pretty worthless in the end - it is only good as long as it boosts productivity - and nobody can have true liberty in that sense as long as they exist in reality anyway, since their "free wills" are shaped by their surroundings. (the "methods of control" can mostly be traced to this) But that is not important; regardless of whether individuals like it or not, it looks like Schumpeter's prediction of the capitalist/republic system gradually being replaced by some form of socialism (and eventually a true communist system) over the centuries might turn out to be fairly accurate.

[Top Gun]

Eh, explain how the direction world politics and economics even vaguely resembles this prediction (in the shory term). The US, and europe to a certain extent, is becoming more and more plutocratic by the second with wealth more unevenly distributed than ever before. Yes, things are becoming a lot more authoritarian in the style of some of the Communist regiemes that have existed, that's the only thing they have in common. Another thing to note is that the majority of communist regiemes sprung from revolutions, they certainly weren't handed down by a ruling few.

[Unknown Target]

Everybody: STOP! This is NOT to become a political thread. Travel down another route, that's it-nothing to see here folks, keep moving.

[CP5670]

Eh, explain how the direction world politics and economics even vaguely resembles this prediction (in the shory term). The US, and europe to a certain extent, is becoming more and more plutocratic by the second with wealth more unevenly distributed than ever before. Yes, things are becoming a lot more authoritarian in the style of some of the Communist regiemes that have existed, that's the only thing they have in common. Another thing to note is that the majority of communist regiemes sprung from revolutions, they certainly weren't handed down by a ruling few.

I don't have time to write a full response to this, but you might want to read Schumpeter's Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy; all of this is explained in there.