[couldn't stand it...had to thro in my nickle's worth]
<<
YakWaxx@aol.com wrote:
>
> Am I the only person who thinks widespreed nanotech is a good thing?
[I think it would be terriffic]
I think widespread nanotech would be a wonderful thing, if we could do it.
> So, everyone has the means and the ability to make whatever they want in
> nanotech. Someone, somewhere is working away building their back goo.
> Meanwhile *everyone everywhere* are working towards ways to improve their
> defense in case this someone somewhere attacks (the people are aware of
the
> danger, because nothing is hiden from them). Who's going to win -
billions
> of people who want to live, or one that wants to kill?
The one that wants to kill.
[I disagree...no more than with the advent of swords, or gunpowder..]
Besides, it's not going to be one psychotic, it's going to be entire
psychotic
governments, or even the entire Chinese government which, though sane, might
realize it couldn't dominate a population with access to nanotechnology.
Give
the Chinese government nanotechnology and they will launch an all-out effort
to create a preemptive strike.
[I consider governments per se to be psychotic...check out their activities
...of any government and tell me this is sanity? Pick a government...then
transmorgify it into an "individual". Would you classify that individual as
sane? I fail to see where one psychotic government having nanotech in a world
of defenseless individuals would be any better than two...or many psychotic
governments having it]
Add this to the advantage in relative development speeds ('mune is much more
complicated) and in strategy and tactics on the molecular level (as
discussed), and not only will there be a war, but the Chinese will win -
that
is, if we confine ourselves to defense.
[this humble one respectively disagrees...defense has an inherent advantage
over offense I seem to recall...(supply lines, communication,,etc)...while
nano is of a different order entirely than warfare...some of the same
principles apply...specialization for example...mataglap (love that
term...which I will use if there is no objection) being specially designed to
destroy...should have difficulty adapting ]
Now, the U.S. knows this as well as I do. So do all the other governments.
They will revert to the tried and true doctrine of Mutual Assured
Destruction.
[I don't consider that to be a particularly successful tactic....rather it
lives up to its acronym...and further reinforces my claim that governments
are psychotic...Imagine two angry men...in an elevator...each with
handgrenades with the pins pulled...glaring at each other....the
inteligent..and sane...tactic would have been to proceed with a defensive
system...]
The end result is that all the governments have nano-arsenals. None of them
trust each other. As with Anti-Ballistic-Missile systems, any proposed
'mune
will be treated as upsetting the balance of power. Any attempt to set up a
'mune system would probably provoke a first strike. Meanwhile, the Chinese
government is oppressing the living hell out of their populations. All the
governments are doing their damndest to prohibit all nanotechnology to their
citizens. And NOW these governments have the power to do WHATEVER THEY
WANT...
[I evision a scenario similar to computer viruses...but taken much more
seriously...combined with that of fire towers in the west (or nuclear test
observation sattelites)...mataglap defense programs would be readily
available...close watch would be kept in case of an outbreak...when there was
one everyone would be notified...and appropriate actions would be taken...on
an individual as well as organizational level]
Not that they'll be doing it for long. Soon there will be a very short war.
Giving nanotech to one person is taking a big chance.
Giving nanotech to all governments is simple suicide.
--
>>
[As would giving it to ANY government exclusively...followed by an
indeterminate period of population exploitation that government would
fragment...thus providing the world with multiple nano which would then
behave in typical childish, psychotic governmental fashion.
I think everyone is discounting one of Vinge's predictions...the Other one
besides that of the Singularity.
That is that while governments and individuals are both gaining
power...individuals are gaining it at a faster rate than that of the
psychotics...er...governments...and that rate is accellerating...(now more so
than ever with computers loose in the hands of individuals....and widespread
communications)...eventually individuals will be as powerful as their
contemperaneous governments....that is goverments will vanish...possibly
taking on functions similar to that of PTA or Elk's club...or perhaps chamber
of commerce...
I can't wait myself....and as I take responsibility for my own self-defense
now..(cops are a headache....all the PAPER WORK)...I expect to do so in the
future
EvMick
OkieCity