SEPTEMBER 2016

TECHNOLOGY

Just where is technology taking the world?

That was the lede on my last blog in Technology.  Here I am attempting to foretell the future.

There are four recent world class geniuses in technology that I recognize.  All are in the USA.  Nobody in the rest of the world comes near. Probably they exist but can get no traction because of the inhibitory socio-political structures in those places.

Each had a different mindset.

• Steve Jobs was an absolute genius at new concepts and making what was "cool" or "sick" operate in an extremely user friendly fashion.
  
• Bill Gates was very good at seeing something was good, then copying and delivering it.
• The Google partners Page & Brin created a brilliant intelligent search engine and free, intelligent applications.
  

What did they do?

• Steve Jobs invented the idea of personal computers, GUI, and aps on mobile phones.
• Gates made PC's available to the masses by offering cheap software (MS-DOS, OFFICE) that would run on cheap knockoffs of the IBM PC.
  
• Page & Brin made an intelligent search engine and other useful software available for free and found ways to make money from advertisers.

Gates and Jobs are out of the running.  Page & Brin are still working.

OK. My first guess for the future direction of technology is a mind reading applications.  Maybe initially by some sort of head covering that detects brain activity. That will evolve to multi-space (e.g. room, street, vehicle) scanners that detect your mental orders and expedite them.

• Want to fly to NY? You mentally order transport, a uber self drive car comes to your door and takes you to the airport where you enter the plane with no passport or inspection fuss, arrive NY and another car arrives to take you to your hotel room.
• Want a stirfry? a simple thought order and a drone delivers the ingredients to your household kitchen which prepares the food.

If I think of something else, I will add it.

BREXIT, HK, GEERT WILDER, TRUMP, DUTERTE, OZ.

Just what do those things have in common?

They are all examples of "we the people" proffering the middle finger to "The Elite".

That is "The Elite" who (think they) know better than the rest of us what should be done about refugees, global warming, drugs, crime, terrorists and consulting "we the people" on legislation. 

That is the same elite as was mentioned in the August blog who have been the power behind the scenes.  The elite that is influencing both Democratic and Republican lawmakers to dump Trump.

The signs of their panic are frightening.

• There is talk of having Homeland Security take over the US government because of "foreign intervention".  No prize for guessing who would be appointed Prez. 
• There is talk of having a second "Brexit" vote. I would not trust the polling organizer.
  
• The right of free speech is being trumped (in Oz and Netherlands) by legislation on "hurt feelings". In my day, we had the rhyme sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.  In the common law if people are hurt by words they can take action in torts which actually requires proof not just an assertion of hurt.
  
• The Chinese in Beijing appear to be unhappy with the recent election outcome.  Expect action there. 
• Duterte in the Philippines may well clean up their drugs problem.  It is not how I would do it, but success breeds justification.
• And poor Malcolm adjusted our Oz electoral system to reduce third party candidates in Canberra, and managed to increase third party senators.

These are the signs of an international ruling class in panic mode, & planning to rule as dictators.

We live in interesting times.  I fear that we are nearly as close to World War III as when Kennedy confronted Khrushchev over Cuba.

MENZIES, PACS

Talk by John Howard is about Menzies.  My two cents worth: Menzies was enormously successful because he wasn't in our faces all the time.  Pollies are saying it was because the electorate was less demanding in the 50's and 60's.  Huh.  Too much "leadership activity" & party room politics is why modern pollies are not successful.

Trying to stop donations by anybody to political parties is an illusion.  There is no way to stop people spending money to influence politicians or get someone elected.  So we have a list? So what?  Does that mean they aren't influenced?

In the USA they have PACs and SUPER PACs.  PAC = Political Action Committee.  No connection whatsoever to the political party.  Do you think the politicians do not shape their actions so as to influence PACs?

In Australia we see the Baird government apparently committing political suicide.  Is the underlying purpose to eliminate small parties by amalgamation?

Our representative democracy political system is corrupted.  We need a new system.


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