The Future of Technology

[Rastafari]

"The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. Conservation of the old modes of production in unaltered form, was, on the contrary, the first condition of existence for all earlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real condition of life and his relations with his kind.

The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the entire surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere. "
-The Communist Manifesto

rereading this today reminded me of some statistics I had found earlier (Via a TechTV program and personal curiosity).

Internet access percentage by languange:
http://www.glreach.com/globstats/
About 1% of the people in the world have used the internet

Predicted phone usage by 2015:
http://local.cips.ca/queencity/Events/arch...nzen/sld009.htm (http://local.cips.ca/queencity/Events/archivedEvents/2000-01/SpringSeminar01/kentonjanzen/sld009.htm)
75% of the Cell Phones in the World are in 9 Countries, and only a small percentage of the people in the world have ever made a phone call.



so, what is the place for connective technology after the revolution?

As it is being used right now in the bourgeoisie system as predicted by Marx?

Would one of the goals of an international revolution (or at least one brought to developing countries) become establishing a communications system?

[apathy maybe]

Before establishing a gloabl (socialist) government, one needs everyone to be able to access infomation, opinions, etc. Currently people in the developing world can't access infomation when it happens. This needs to change. Radios and the Internet are the most importent communication tools availiable to people today. Using solar powered or people powered computers (even one in each village) people can access infomation on everything from medical advice to how the sport is going. We need to become a truly global vilage(sp?). Support globalisation on OUR terms not those of the capitilists. When we do become communist we need communications to keep in touch and the internet (or a successer) is the way to go.

[Rastafari]

well, the current goal of capitalist markets helping in third world countries is to establish more technological communications, organizing the people in a way that they can more easily be exploited.