[ExI] Our Ageing World

[Rafal Smigrodzki]

On Sun, Aug 14, 2016 at 5:02 PM, Anders <anders at aleph.se> wrote:


> You either need to issue the right ultimatums and achieve coercion of the
> regime, or you need boots on the ground. Same thing if you want to
> institute a proper neopagan religious government, or stop the slaughter of
> some minority.


### As the utility of human labor becomes circumscribed, the meaning of
"boots" could change. Today the term often implies a large organization of
expensive and extensively trained, obedient men who put their lives at risk
while credibly threatening or destroying the lives of others. In a few
decades the task of destroying lives will be very efficiently and in a
fine-grained fashion achieved by drones of the wildest variety of sizes and
designs. A small poison-drone can kill any specified target. A network of
surveillance and attack drones can supply information and prevent
infiltration by enemy drones.

The operator of a network of drones might decide to dispense with the human
inhabitants of an area, after all, they will not be useful in any economic
sense. But if for some reason the survival of humans is desired, and they
need to be coerced, there will be no need for riflemen. Assassin drones
might be a poor choice for delivering the human touch that is the core of
any effective propaganda but there are always quislings who can be
convinced to deliver messages to the ruled.

Boots'2050 might mean dweebs in sandals going around the block and praising
the occupying regime, gently suggesting submission, and pointing out the
rewards of obedience. The grisly job of eliminating the non-suggestible
subjects would be handled by inconspicuous drones and unmarked biological
material disposal vans, perhaps manned by cheerful Asimo-type androids.

Boots'2100 might mean just new settings on the brain-machine-interface
devices universally implanted in all surviving biologicals.

Rafał
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