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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gordon A. Langston who wrote (170991)	8/13/2001 4:08:10 PM
From: ThirdEye	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Don't know of instances of unions opposing technology. What they have opposed is the loss of jobs due to a relocation of the manufacturing base outside our borders. And BTW, it's interesting that you point out the Luddite connection to textiles. There is virtually no US-based textile manufacturing at present.

To: Gordon A. Langston who wrote (170991)	8/13/2001 4:11:20 PM
From: asenna1	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Oh brother. Oh...sorry... Ah, you are so Right.

To: Gordon A. Langston who wrote (170991)	8/13/2001 5:49:29 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

The Luddites' opposition to the introduction of textile machinery was based upon 'ethical' factors as well: enlightened self interest being a large part of it: unemployment and misery would be the result in the 'short-run' (up to a generation) for these home-based hand loom operators with the introduction of the steam driven labor saving machines. In the long run, they were utterly wrong, the evolution of economies not being a zero sum game... but their 'blind' and violent opposition to technological change - smashing the machines that replaced them - just like the present day Luddites' fearful and ignorant opposition to biotechnology - WAS based on nominally 'ethical' grounds. A comparison of the two cases is valid. If anything, the reasoning behind today's fear-mongering opposition to gene engineered food stocks and the medical potentials dimly glimpsed yet inherent in stem cell and proteinomic research, is even sketchier and less compelling then the original Luddite's case. At least, at the dawn of the textile revolution, the near-term social damage to society at large could be clearly envisioned.... So, to me, Luddites is what these biotechnology bashers clearly are.