-----Original Message-----
From: Joshua Bell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2000 2:16 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: Truth Machine: (was Re: discrepancy between Presidentialpoll s)Chad Cooper [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] wrote:
>
> I have read this book.I haven't, which will color this response...
> It is great! The idea that Humanity is
> revolutionized
> by the fact that no one can lie anymore without getting
> caught. Considering
> the advances in medicine, computer technology, and
> bio-diagnostic technology
> since the book was written, Is something like a 100% accurate
> Lie Detector
> possible with today's technology?.Is the distinction between Truth and Fact explored at all?
An example: it can be factual that person X committed some crime. However, it can be entirely truthful for person Y to claim that he remembers person Z committed the crime instead. The truth, trusted blindly, thus convicts an innocent person and frees a criminal.
The only thing such a truth machine could determine is whether or not a person is accurately relating some internal state to others. I'm not sure of the value of that capability. We know humans are fallible; part of the thrust of Transparency is to NOT trust others, not only their conscious behaviors and decisions but in all circumstances.
I had an interesting debate about this on a Star Trek forum. When someone asked "why doesn't the ship just scan everyone all the time so it can tell immediately when something (inevitably) goes wrong?". Someone responded that it was a breach of privacy - I pointed out how dangerous our privacy obsession was, and the two futures open two us. I found it interesting that those obsessed with privacy apparently trust others and the government to obey the law, whereas those who are willing to abandon privacy do it precisely because we don't trust anyone. :)
> Let's say the truth machine was developed and in use. Would
> you favor or
> oppose a law requiring that presidential candidates,
> including incumbents,
> undergo truth machine testing?What questions would you propose asking? I don't think presidential candidates typically do lie; they're generally too smart and understand the consequences when they're caught. Sure, they bend and twist the truth, deceive and mislead - but what does the truth machine have to say about that?
Let's have it sitting beside Clinton's desk during the Lewinsky brouhaha - at what point does it blink green or red when he's claiming they didn't do the nasty? At his personal definition of slap & tickle, or society's? If we don't know his internal state, I don't think it's of any use.
Truth is an entirely subjective concept. I think it is completely orthogonal to Tranasparency. But I haven't read the book. :)
Joshua
In the Book, the truth machines were installed into all of the courts throughout the world. By asking critical and direct questions, anyone could get to the truth. For instance.... did you or did you not strike the victim? The answer is either yes or no.
This does not prevent criminal acts, but each government made it mandatory that every time one dealt with any government institution, employment, or education you were hooked up to the machine and asked a simple question:
"Have you committed any crimes after the date of January 1 2032 "(which was the amnesty date for all prior crimes).
If the person believes that they were in fact guilty, that could not be hidden. Violent crimes were treated with quick justice. No question about executing an innocent man. In cases of temporary Insanity claims....
"Free and instant treatment is offered on demand for drug addiction, alcoholism, gambling addiction, and any treatable form of mental illness. Concurrently the insanity defense for all violent crime is abolished. Defenses based on childhood abuse or any plea other than self-defense are virtually eliminated. This is known as the "No Excuses Provision."
The penalty was....
" First-time violent offenders, including juveniles, are sentenced to privately run rehabilitation prisons or boot camps with rigorous education programs. Prisoners include anyone convicted of weapons possession crimes. A national standard is instituted for education and rehabilitation of such prisoners. All prisons are equipped with fitness facilities, libraries, and computers. Terms of incarceration are slightly shorter than before, but inmates have to pass literacy and mental competency tests to qualify for parole. "
"Those convicted of violent crimes will be limited to one appeal, heard and ruled upon within 65 days of trial verdict. A mandatory death penalty is instituted for any second violent crime committed after Swift and Sure became law (January 15, 2005). Execution will take place immediately upon decision, with no exceptions granted under any circumstances. "
Harsh, man!
The Truth Machine only provides transparency to those acts that are criminal. It does not provide a method to deter crime through observation, rather through ultimate conviction and no exception punishment.
For instance, it could not get me to reveal a corporate secret, but transparency will reveal what corporate secret I may possess. However, other people do not need to know my corporate secret, but they do need to know if I commit a crime.I don't think anyone believes that a person has the right to hide a crime. A Truth Machine would fulfill the primary function (of revealing crime) that transparency would provide, without the perceived invasion of privacy.
Chad
Title: RE: Truth Machine: (was Re: discrepancy between Presidentialpoll s)
