Contrary to the fears of the skeptics, a libertarian country could provide anything people want. There could be roads, parks, and libraries. The poor could be cared for and people kept safe. Everything provided voluntarily instead of at the barrel of government guns. If you want to make sure only those who paid for a service use it, charge user fees or sell memberships. It would be more ethical, and probably cheaper, than the current system.
Tag: technology
Three Obstacles
We will always have much the same emotions that Adam and Eve had. Institutions will always militate against change, and even when they do change they will only update to new institutions. Institutions are static steps in the dynamic process of change. And technological matters will always seem god-like because they change while the former two don’t — technological change is outside the box.
Jobs and AI
I am a survivor of the Expert Systems rage of the mid-80s. Every trade journal of every industry that even had a trickle of data processing was touting the next coming of Expert Systems. ES were premised on taking the most experienced, most expert of your business’s humans, then making a killer app with your tiny desktop computers that would cross-examine your clerks to make sure they answered all of the questions that your top guru would ask.
What if Software Ate it?
I think we’re still at the beginning of the software takeover of the world. A good question for your interests and vocations is, “What would this look like eaten by software?” Some things, like fantasy football, are pretty close already. Some, like banking, are halfway there. Others, like buying a house or going out to…
#KnifeFree? #Spineless!
Knives are what make us human, technology-wise. To try to stop people from carrying knives is to forbid them from living as humans. A knife ban is even less legitimate than a gun ban, and a gun ban isn’t legitimate at all.
The Senate vs. Facebook: Beware Untrustworthy Partners, Revisited
Back in early 2015, when then-president Barack Obama signed an executive order on cybersecurity “information sharing,” I pointed out in a column that the federal government is the last organization any sane human being would trust to secure the privacy of his or her data. My opinion was swiftly and irrefutably vindicated: That same year produced revelations of government database breaches compromising the personal information of 22 million former government employees, 330,000 taxpayers, and 191 million voters.
Words Poorly Used #134 — Convergence
People in the technology trades these days are insisting that we are experiencing “convergence.” At TechTarget.com, the following definition is offered: DEFINITION technological convergence … –ComputerWeekly.com In general, convergence is a coming together of two or more distinct entities or phenomena. Technological convergence is increasingly prevalent in the information technology world; in this context, the…
Thank Your Competitors
There’s plenty to be said for Peter Thiel’s case that establishing a natural monopoly (via innovation, not privilege or coercion) is best for innovation. In many cases, it’s true. You should probably not go into a space that is already competitive. But if you have already done something innovative, competitors are bound to come behind to ride your coattails. Here are a few reasons you shouldn’t be too upset – and why you might actually want to thank your competitors.
Whither Self-Driving Cars?
I don’t want to be too quick to say last rites over self-driving cars, but fallibility is the Achilles’ heel of the illusion of infallibility. And ideas are far more dependent on popular acceptance than they are upon usefulness.
You’re Not the Only Person On a Quest
If your search is long and arduous, it’s reasonable to get some tunnel-vision. You’re focused on becoming excellent at your job, establishing your new business, educating yourself in a new technology/science, or becoming a hero to your children. Your quest is and (probably) should be a focus for you. But maybe you’re missing something important.