In a previous blog entry, Towards less Hate: Rise of the Bourgeoise-Technologist, I show a typing of social/economic dependence. Please see that blog entry in order to understand what follows.
Racially and religiously homogenous groups have ancient means of self-governance. They fall into my Type 1 category. Policing is performed by the familial -mothers, fathers, friends. "It takes a village" sums it up.
Type 2 stage is less coherent and efficient for public safety if policing has moved to non-local and non-familial, while the local node is still as racist, religiously sectarian, or harbors a nationalist agenda serving their race or religion. The LA riots of the 1990's, riots in Muslim neighborhoods of France, and religious compound raids such as the Waco Texas Branch Davidians are examples. In all these cases the local racist or sectarian node does not tolerate non-familial ambivalent policing.
A Bourgeoisie-Technologist class, Type 3, are a return to coherence and efficiency in the realm of public-safety. With the ancient form of familial social governance diminished almost to zero, and opposition to racist or sectarian agendas due to these being an economic suppressant; the Type 3 Bourgeoisie-Technologist class stands to gain more public-safety in an age of ambivalent technological social control.
With every surveillance camera and RFID tag the Bourgeoisie-Technologist class can expect greater safety. Of course Type 1 and 2 societies will see the same technologies as threatening their racist or sectarian strongholds, and especially threatening their use of violence on outsiders. For the more fluid individuals without strong allegiance to race or sect, but serving themselves through violence or illegal economics, the surveillance is a straightforward threat.
The Bourgeoise-Technologist class can make increased public-safety more likely by practicing a non-solidarity with Type 1 and 2 classes. The check point, query from police officers, or survey by video camera is an entirely different experience for the legal and illegal. A safe environment for the Bourgeoisie-Technologist class is one with these policing methods 24/7.
A word should be said about wealth and inclusiveness. Our standard view of the 1950's as a bourgeoise paradise, and repressive for minorities; helps foster a negative connotation of the term bourgeoise. That "bourgeoise paradise" of the 1950's was Type 2-an antithesis of the Bourgeoise-Technologist class. The cost of equipment needed for entrance in the Bourgeoisie-Technologist class is well below $500, and there is no one at the entrance door checking for specific race or religion. As far as hurdles to enter an upper class go, the < $500 is a doable one. Then there is the issue of public safety. Historically the underclass have a life threatening hurdle before they can enter a higher class, and it is called "street violence". Peaceful members of the underclass could more likely muster the $500 for upward mobility if they could safely go about their business. Every surveillance camera helps the underclass have less harassment from their own.
The poor want public safety also, for immediate peace, and for an environment conducive to entrance in the Bourgeoisie-Technologist class.
Supporting and related material:
Coplink Artificial Intelligence
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2 comments:
Consider "behavior detection officers" at airports who are trained to detect facecrime. The developed world today has all the silly details of the totalitarian state in George Orwell's 1984 without the violence and absolute suppression of dissent.
Less-developed states have more successfully crushed internal opposition with good old fashioned "type 1" fundamentalism, ethnic cleansing, prisons and executions.
Perhaps we passed the "hubbard's peak" of totalitarianism 50 years ago. The "type 2" authoritarian states and their weapons of mass destruction continue to take lives, but at a decreased rate - hundreds and thousands instead of hundreds of thousands or millions.
The "type 3" bourgeoise technologist has emerged in the post-peak tail of the type 2 system, and recycles the most feared tools of totalitarianism for productive purposes: centralization, surveilance and mechanization, embodied by entities like Google and Wikipedia.
For some reason this makes me think of greek mythology: Uranus being castrated and deposed by his son Cronus who in turn was poisoned or cut open and replaced by his son Zeus as an analogy for the type 2 state arising from the tribe and being consumed by it's own offspring.
Thanks Seth, after reading your comment I saw a gap in my reasoning, and added a few paragraphs about economic inclusiveness.
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