[Note to moderation: Responding to an email that did have me cc'd, and which I am not CC'ing anyone on. But my response is one line, and is the end of my discussion on this particular thread.]
After the Axial Age, everyone became an expert. Tom Abeles wrote: > Hi Taran > > the simputer is merely the sacrament as defined by some religions. > > Simply put, the entire ICT for development, as currently promulgated > is a "faith based" movement. While one can definitely show "progress" > within the science and engineering world, it is this transferance of > the idea of progress to the social sphere which is based on faith. > Marxist social models failed as have the neo-classical economic models > so highly touted by Fukuyama when he declared the end of history when > the soviet empire came apart at the seams. Both of these were based on > the idea of progress as demonstrated in science and technology; the > projection of this idea of progress onto the social sphere is much > like seeing an image in an ink blot- apophenia might be the term. > > While this may seem "academic", one must be careful that one > understands the pond in which one is swimming. The usual argument > which is often paraphrased as "I am a practioner and not some > theoretical academic" does not hold. Nor do anecdotal tales of > technology successes or the position of apologist for the "success" of > western technologies. This is a sensitive issue which is easy to be > avoided by focusing on the hardware and software. But somewhere these > issues need to be grappled with in a manner which does not side step > the hard questions by having the west wear a hair shirt or become some > variances of the flagelantes. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: Panama City, Panama [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran "Criticize by creating." — Michelangelo _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
