DBA123, post class 3/3

In class yesterday we talked about Poster, and got into deep discussions of how technology is beginning to define us as a culture. Dr. Casey put up this quote,

“Technology has taken a turn that defines the character of power of modern governments.”

We can interpret this quote to mean many different things, but as I left class, I feel we should read this quote as somewhat of a warning. By saying that technology has the ability to control many of the actions and decisions our government makes, I believe Poster is inadvertently saying that eventually technology will be making choices that affect our population. Technology has opened so many doors, giving us access to so much information, that even a decade ago, would seem like something out of a science fiction book. Although the public is allowed (at least in our country) to many diverse types of technology, our government has options that we cannot even fathom. Take for instance the atomic bomb. Our government, and maybe some others, had to make the decision to decide whether or not to drop this bomb on Japan. This occurrence definitely had an impact on the way the character of our government is perceived. Because of this technology, our government’s reputation has been forever changed. Other technology, probably beyond what we even know is available, is capable of “defining the character” of our government.

It is a hard decision to determine what is over stepping the boundaries and what is not. I think it is important to recognize that technology does allow us, and our government, choices that seem tempting to use, but in the grand scheme of things, are not necessary. By being aware of this now, we can make wiser decisions in the future.