Using Technology to Deepen Democracy, Using Democracy to Ensure Technology Benefits Us All

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Fraud Is the Futurological Common Denominator

Successful mainstream futurology is essentially a matter of amplifying irrational consumption through marketing hype and of making profitable short term predictions for the benefit of investors, the only reliable source for which is insider information. Successful superlative futurology is essentially a matter of amplifying irrational greed and terror through the conjuration of a techno-transcendent vision of "The Future" peddled as long-term predictions the faithful in which provide unearned attention and money for the benefit of guru-wannabes and pseudo-experts, the source for which is inevitably science fiction mistaken for science practice and science policy. You will have noticed that fraud is the indispensable common denominator of futurology in both its mainstream and superlative modes.

More Futurological Brickbats here.

2 comments:

jollyspaniard said...

They hype is often used to con investors too.

Dale Carrico said...

Capitalism is investors all the way down, and first of all in capitalism itself.