tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956838.post3324690228248286006..comments2023-11-22T01:14:54.298-08:00Comments on amor mundi: Tech "Disruption" Is Monopoly MoneyDale Carricohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02811055279887722298noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956838.post-74988635387855970602014-10-25T11:43:31.869-07:002014-10-25T11:43:31.869-07:00> Tech "Disruption" Is Monopoly Money...> Tech "Disruption" Is Monopoly Money<br /><br />From today's Times:<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/books/review/james-risens-pay-any-price.html<br />---------------<br />$20 billion was sent to Iraq with little or no oversight and without<br />any clear direction on how it should be spent. Most of this money was<br />flown from East Rutherford, N.J., in bricks of $100 bills. Pallets of<br />cash were distributed at will. . .<br />====<br /><br />Boy oh boy! That was right in my back yard. I'm surprised it didn't<br />warp the space-time continuum on Route 3.<br /><br />"I feel a great disturbance in the force."<br /><br />No, that's just $20 billion, in bricks of $100 bills, parked<br />in a warehouse over at Teterboro Airport.<br /><br />;->jimfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04975754342950063440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956838.post-78076225156794583452014-10-24T15:05:01.665-07:002014-10-24T15:05:01.665-07:00I don't agree with either of your observations...I don't agree with either of your observations. Neoliberlism as an advocacy either of elite-incumbent technocracy or of market fundamentalist pieties is a right-wing reactionary political position. Clintonian liberalism was about as liberal as Eisenhower Republicanism. I agree that money is corrupting, I agree that it has corrupted both political parties, but I disagree that this trumps ideology or that this makes the parties equivalent to one another. Such facile observations usually justify the usual consumer acquiescence to the status quo with the added insult of self-congratulatory pseudo-radical preening.Dale Carricohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02811055279887722298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956838.post-38846434219694732122014-10-24T14:32:55.023-07:002014-10-24T14:32:55.023-07:00Interesting that just about all silicon valley exe...Interesting that just about all silicon valley execs are of the "Liberal" persuasion. Then again, money talks and ideology takes a walk regardless of your world view.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956838.post-9084948165580689992014-10-24T13:46:16.485-07:002014-10-24T13:46:16.485-07:00The confusion no doubt results from my skimming --...The confusion no doubt results from my skimming -- I thought I'd captured the main points while still inviting folks to click the link to the whole piece. It may be that Eskow is simplifying the history a wee bit around the edges as well.Dale Carricohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02811055279887722298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956838.post-28763566323280550562014-10-24T13:19:21.058-07:002014-10-24T13:19:21.058-07:00> From RJ Escow's latest piece in Salon. . ...> From RJ Escow's latest piece in Salon. . .<br />><br />> Bill Gates... acknowledges, he and his associates built<br />> MS/DOS by “taking Digital’s manual and writing my<br />> operating system.”<br /><br />Say what? Is that "Digital" as in "Digital Research"<br />or "Digital Equipment Corporation"?<br /><br />In either case, it's not true. Microsoft **bought**<br />Tim Paterson's (Seattle Computer Corporation's) QDOS<br />("quick and dirty operating system" for the Intel 8086/8088),<br />which was in turn a reimplementation of Digital Research's<br />CP/M (for the Z-80/8080), which was in turn based on<br />Digital Equipment Corporation's RT-11 (for the PDP-11).<br /><br />In any case, lots of "Digitals'" manuals, mostly pre-dating<br />Bill Gates' ownership of the OS.<br /><br />> Silicon Valley represents a set of values that is amoral<br />> by commonly held standards. It’s rapidly taking control of<br />> the distribution systems for music, literature and arts.<br />> And it’s increasingly manipulating our access to information,<br />> even as it absorbs an ever-increasing share of our economy.<br />> Scoff at the word “monopoly” if you like. But if these<br />> developments don’t concern you, you’re not paying attention.<br /><br />Wot, you don't like The Future? Tough tuna fish, Charlie!<br />To quote somebody in Jerry Pournelle's _Oath of Fealty_,<br />"Consider it evolution in action."<br /><br />Or go study Ayn Rand, or something. ;->jimfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04975754342950063440noreply@blogger.com