Re: Does a nanotech pleasure city have to be productive??

Rik van Riel (riel@humbolt.geo.uu.nl)
Tue, 28 Sep 1999 15:13:02 +0200 (CEST)

On 28 Sep 1999, Anders Sandberg wrote:
> "john grigg" <starman125@hotmail.com> writes:
>
> > And the invaders may in no time become utterly seduced by the enticements of
> > a nanotech pleasure city. In history the conqueror would often be conquered
> > by the culture they had defeated militarily.
>
> ("Ankh Morpok welcomes careful barbarian invaders" - Terry Pratchett
> describes this very nicely in one of his books, where the traders
> really want their city invaded, since they know they can always sell
> stupid souveniers to the invaders.)

It somehow reminds me of the rediculous invasion the Americans did a few years ago in, I think, Somalia. There were so many camera crews present at the beach that the soldiers had to go through quite a bit of trouble to invade the country ... ... uninterviewed :)

In retrospect, I'm also amazed there were no merchants on the beach selling "I invaded Somalia" T-shirts to the soldiers :)

Rik

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