The debate on privacy is another. And what's good for business can be very bad for the individual. Last month, the Unabomber blackmailed his way into the newspapers. And across the country, Americans lined up to read his manifesto. Many people would like to shoot this Messenger, yet they feel his Message raises important concerns about technology.
People are hungry for discussion of the forces that affect their lives.
But those with more dollars get more votes. Besides, consumer purchases can't possibly express the full range of human values we hold as citizens. Not all technology constitutes genuine progress. When a factory's toxic pollution sends nearby neighbors to the hospital, the Gross National Product goes up, but our Quality of Life goes down. That's not human progress.