There is an essay with a title, something to the effect, "The Fear of
God and the Need to Acquire" where there is a line, paraphrased, which
says that there is a problem when the only way a person can show love
for his/her spouse is to go to bed with them or BUY them something.
One must realize that secular humanism is just as much a religion as
Christianity or other professed "religions" and the sacramental
technology produced by science is the equivalent of a communion "wafer".
The electronic "tent" proposed by John is the equivalent of an old
fashioned "Revival" meeting which one finds in the United States in some
fundamentalist ministries- a calling for all techno-development acolytes
and disciples.
Now, I do believe in such "get-togethers". The "teach-ins" and "be-ins"
and the plethora of "fests" for farmers, tsunamis, aids... are all
examples and all moved the world to a little better place.
But to enshrine a piece of technology on some sacred platform comes
straight out of some science fiction novel or TV commercial for any of
the products which will make us younger, sexier, more desirable and
successful. Buy a Simputer and you, too, will realize the consumptive
success of the characters on the old program Dallas.
I have said on this list that once the apostles of ICT gain sufficient
followers then every micro-technology company from IBM, Dell, Microsoft,
Motorola, etc will be on the evangelical trail seeking converts to their
products and services.
The Simputer is a false God and the ICT disciples are members of an
aberrant branch of the faith based secular humanism.
thoughts?
tom abeles
John Hibbs wrote:
At 10:02 AM -0700 5/29/05, Dr. Steve Eskow wrote:
If the Simputer is a superior product, and mass producing it will
dramatically lower its price, the Simputer firm might emulate
Negroponte and
insist on mass orders.
"Insist"? How?
How much good would it do to set a date ceartain - as Earth Day has -
and make a 24 hour, round the clock, round the world - effort to focus
on this call? An event designed to engage grant writers, pundits,
distance educators, distance trainers, radio stations, humanitarian
relief agencies, the UN, appropriate government officials at high levels.
Is there a better way that picking a date certain - say six months
from now? - and then putting our collective shoulders together to make
sure that a zillion people hear of the Simputer - and cause the
ordering in the millions?
John Hibbs
http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs
P.S. Sam Johnson says that nothing concentrates the mind like a
hanging. I say that nothing concentrates the mind like an Big Event
with a date certain. What else will turn "insist" into a collective
action?
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