Hi, I've been thinking about the political implications of TS. The conclusions I've so far reached are quite pessimistic, but perhaps they're realistic. I'm trying to come up with a detailed scenario, and here are some starting points. All help is appreciated!
I believe control is one of the paramount issues considering the politics of TS, and the unfolding of TS. There are many factors that point to the need for increased control, surveillance and authoritarian forms of rule, and I still believe these will spill over to the digital domain. But I may be missing some important component. -Interpersonal economic polarization is increasing. A threat from below implies less democracy. -TS is the biggest strategic issue of the 21st century. It can be seen as the final race to global supremacy: if there are sufficient computational resources available, then whoever will first achieve brain digitization and emulation technologies will win the race, for example by gaining a massive economic advantage, or by starting a massive weapons research program. -The huge potential for technological advance will fuel instability; the major powers could attempt to resolve this by coming to an agreement to create a global political organ to oversee all of digital humanity. Rogue nations will be brought in line by economic or military means. On the other hand, conflicts will likely remain regional in scope, as globalized capital won't tolerate a global conflagration. -Digital communities can't simply be let loose. Previously most power rested in the hands of an elite of analog humans, and they won't be willing to relinquish their position so easily. The Luddite movement will be exploited politically to this end. This will lead to strong digital surveillance, a digital police force, and possibly STASI style methods of enforcing control in the digital world. -Such controls clearly impede productivity, which is another incentive to establish global control over TS technologies. Otherwise some large nation or power could hedge its bets, dispense with control and make an alliance with a liberal digital community, achieving a competitive advantage. -Corporations will likely continue to increase their power. Strong digital property rights will be established. Digital exploitation and slavery will follow. -Even more control is needed when most of analog humanity becomes economically unviable: they will no longer be able to compete in wages with digital humans. I have no idea how this question will be resolved. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-l...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en.
