Guess who I'm quoting

Let's play a little guessing game. Guess who wrote this:


"But we are suggesting neither that the human race would voluntarily turn power over to the machines nor that the machines would willfully seize power. What we do suggest is that the human race might easily permit itself to drift into a position of such dependence on the machines that it would have no practical choice but to accept all of the machines’ decisions. ... Eventually a stage may be reached at which the decisions necessary to keep the system running will be so complex that human beings will be incapable of making them intelligently. At that stage the machines will be in effective control. People won’t be able to just turn the machines off, because they will be so dependent on them that turning them off would amount to suicide."


Please take a guess or post another interesting quote if you have one. Just remember the topic is "political ideology".

[edit on 12-10-2008 by Distractions4Nothing]

reply to post by Distractions4Nothing


Ah, the power of Google

Ray Kurzweil, The Age of Spiritual Machines

Usually when someone attatches the phrases "guess the quote" and "political ideology" it's trying to trick someone into agreeing with Hitler, or somethign like that.

If that's like what you're trying to do OP, please don't, just state your views and let people judge them honestly.

An interesting quote, makes me wonder if we could all survive without any mechanisation today, life support machines, pace makers etc are obvious examples where the answer would be no. Don't we rely on machines to produce the amount of food required today? I'm not certain you see.

Oh and it reminds me of The Matrix, machines keeping us alive and machines coming to kill us..

No one has guessed correctly yet. And relax, it's just a game.

Also using google:

It's from the Unibomber, Theodore Kaczynskis' Industrial Society and Its Future(aka his manifesto), as far as I can tell.

Originally posted by Saidin
Also using google:

It's from the Unibomber, Theodore Kaczynskis' Industrial Society and Its Future(aka his manifesto), as far as I can tell.

Correctomundo!

I am way

to tipsy to figure this crap out. so i give uo
who is it >?

The una bomber is a very crazy dude. But the man is a genius. To bad he went the psychotic route. Same could be said of Manson and Hitler.

OK, I'll play!

Who said this:

"CALLED upon to undertake the duties of the first executive office of our country, I avail myself of the presence of that portion of my fellow-citizens which is here assembled to express my grateful thanks for the favor with which they have been pleased to look toward me, to declare a sincere consciousness that the task is above my talents, and that I approach it with those anxious and awful presentiments which the greatness of the charge and the weakness of my powers so justly inspire. A rising nation, spread over a wide and fruitful land, traversing all the seas with the rich productions of their industry, engaged in commerce with nations who feel power and forget right, advancing rapidly to destinies beyond the reach of mortal eye—when I contemplate these transcendent objects, and see the honor, the happiness, and the hopes of this beloved country committed to the issue, and the auspices of this day, I shrink from the contemplation, and humble myself before the magnitude of the undertaking. Utterly, indeed, should I despair did not the presence of many whom I here see remind me that in the other high authorities provided by our Constitution I shall find resources of wisdom, of virtue, and of zeal on which to rely under all difficulties. To you, then, gentlemen, who are charged with the sovereign functions of legislation, and to those associated with you, I look with encouragement for that guidance and support which may enable us to steer with safety the vessel in which we are all embarked amidst the conflicting elements of a troubled world."

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


Would that be George Washington?

And, yeah, this would have been a one line post, but now it's not.

reply to post by ShadowEyes


Nope, try again!!

But it was a president!

Thomas Jefferson! Oh this is fun.... here's one:

I have shown how the dread of disturbance and the love of well-being insensibly lead democratic nations to increase the functions of central government as the only power which appears to be intrinsically sufficiently strong, enlightened, and secure to protect them from anarchy, I would now add that all the particular circumstances which tend to make the state of a democratic community agitated and precarious enhances this general propensity and lead private persons more and more to sacrifice their rights to the tranquility.