Thursday, June 21, 2007

The technology fairy

For almost all the major problems that surrounds us, technology is being touted as the answer. An example would be what the UN secretary general said recently about the conflicts in Darfur. He opines,

'Any real solution to Darfur's troubles involves sustained economic development," perhaps using new technologies, genetically modified grains or irrigation, while bettering health, education and sanitation'.

I do not believe that technology is a fairy. Of course, it does have its advantages, but it has never been, is not and will never be a fairy. The person who first beats me black and blue so that I vomit blood and then ses a cotton ball to wipe that blood off is not exactly my friend. That person is precisely what is technology. Technology comes as a package. It comes with unbridled capitalism, it empowers oppresive regimes to be even more oppresive, more energy consumption per capita etc. The reality is that the other sections of the packages almost always does more harm than the section that is touted to do good. Something to munch about.

I was inspired by this post. That was a particularly nice post. I liked it. I like the blog as well. I would recommend Mindwalk to anyone who has about 2 hours and has some interest in this topic. It touches this subject to some extent. It is a beautiful movie based on a book by Fritjof Capra.

2 comments:

Saravanan Mathialagan said...

Dae very good post!

I would love to spend lots of hours in this .. I guess it shd answer my questions about the role of technology in human life.

But one thing very blatant , I guess everyone would accept is, we feel we can achieve anything when this laptop is plugged into the internet ..technology savies feel as God for making the world smaller through the internet, and of course this comes with lots and lots of un healthy byproducts.

Unhealthy by products not only for the environment but for ones health like a eye pain im suffering for last 2 weeks .. :-)
(hard experiences ..). and then technology would give me a Monitor rays protection glass to do healthy computing, but pain is my ASS.

I only feel like a person lost in this technology matrix and finding the right pill to come out, but so much bounded by many many technology.

One thing I can very clearly understand is my eyes are spoilt by overseeing the monitor(unfortunately my job!!), my ears paining over hearing to Ipods, and finally no time for any morning walk, good night sleep, as so much is expected from my Boss.

Tomorrows world will be even worser where technology will take us to artificial mating and fast food by pills, as we may find no time for ourself but you know need more time "to make technology even more powerful" ..

Im still not understanding clearly whether to balance or whether to shit off from this. These comments are my grievances towards this unhealthy poor living. Some one help me!

-saravanan

Partha said...

confusion-oma clarity-gamaya :D