As taken from the 'unabomber manifesto': PLEASE NOTE: 'unabombers' original manifesto was self edited and never received any other editing. I therefore decided to omit the terms, "men/man/mans/mens" and replace with people,person, etc. Teds language was perhaps not the 'best', given the decade in which he forced the 'system' to publish it, and also his approach to action, whether it was right or wrong, is not important when discussin this great, if short, on technology versus our freedoms:

A technological advance that appears not to threaten freedom often turns out to threaten it very seriously later on. For example, consider motorized transport. A walking person formerly could go where they pleased, go at their own pace without observing any traffic regulations, and was independent of technological support-systems. When motor vehicles were introduced they appeared to increase peoples freedom. They took no freedom away from the walking person, no one had to have an automobile if they didn't want one, and anyone who did choose to buy an automobile could travel much faster than the walking person. But the introduction of motorized transport soon changed society in such a way as to restrict greatly peoples freedom of locomotion. When automobiles became numerous, it became necessary to regulate their use extensively. In a car, especially in densely populated areas, one cannot just go where one likes at one's own pace one's movement is governed by the flow of traffic and by various traffic laws. One is tied down by various obligations: license requirements, driver test, renewing registration, insurance, maintenance required for safety, monthly payments on purchase price. Moreover, the use of motorized transport is no longer optional. Since the introduction of motorized transport the arrangement of our cities has changed in such a way that the majority of people no longer live within walking distance of their place of employment, shopping areas and recreational opportunities, so that they HAVE TO depend on the automobile for transportation. Or else they must use public transportation, in which case they have even less control over their own movement than when driving a car. Even the walker's freedom is now greatly restricted. In the city they continually stop and wait for traffic lights that are designed mainly to serve auto traffic. In the country, motor traffic makes it dangerous and unpleasant to walk along the highway. (Note the important point we have illustrated with the case of motorized transport: When a new item of technology is introduced as an option that an individual can accept or not as they choose, it does not necessarily REMAIN optional. In many cases the new technology changes society in such a way that people eventually find themselves FORCED to use it.)

PLEASE NOTE: 'unabombers' original manifesto was self edited and never received any other editing. i therefore decided to omit the terms, "men/man/mans/mens" and replace with people,person, etc. ted's language was perhaps not the 'best', but this piece on technology is surely bang on and a good reason to discuss real revolutionary progress?

anyone care to comment?