Critiqueing the Critique of Technology

[jetfx]

I was debating someone with anarcho-primitivist leanings, so decided to post my reply, as it pertains to the critique of technology in a general sense.

Comments

[postrodent]

Everyone can see the Line of Empire, but the Line of No Return doesn't get the press it deserves. Well put.

[jetfx]

I'm not exactly clear on your meaning. Although I'm fairly sure it has nothing to do with female fashion in Napoleonic period.

[postrodent]

Yeah, I suppose that was a bit obscure. Both terms come out of Bruce Sterling's Shaping Things book, which I recommend even as I have reservations about it.

Essentially the Line of Empire is the point where a "technoculture" successfully assimilates and can no longer be successfully attacked (culturally, militarily, economically) by previous technocultures. Obviously a technoculture of major significance was born at the beginning of the industrial age. And the Line of No Return is where the population of a technoculture is large enough that it cannot regress to a previous technocultural form without shedding a large majority of its population -- it's just binding way more energy and matter than it was before, and it needs to continue doing so for its people to survive. This is the bit that gives me bad dreams.

[jetfx]

Ah yes. Is clear now. Although I wouldn't worry too much. Energy and matter aren't things that we are exactly short of on this planet. We're just short of the technology to utilize most of it, particularly the renewable stuff.

[postrodent]

I think we have all the tech we need, probably, although I wouldn't exactly say no to more and better. Unfortunately, because of that Line of No Return thing, if at any given time our available energy (from our deployed, rather than potential, energy base) dips in any major way... we're in big, big trouble. So, mid to long term outlook excellent, short term outlook dicey.