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␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓βS␈↓∧ Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California 94305

␈↓ ↓H␈↓∧Telephone 415 497-4430␈↓ 
!April 3, 1977 




␈↓ ↓H␈↓Mr. William Buckley
␈↓ ↓H␈↓National Review
␈↓ ↓H␈↓150 East 35th St.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓New York, N.Y. 10016

␈↓ ↓H␈↓Dear Mr. Buckley:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        I␈α∪would␈α∪like␈α∪to␈α∪write␈α∪a␈α∪column␈α∪on␈α∪technology␈α∪and␈α∪science␈α∪for␈α∪␈↓↓National␈α∪Review␈↓␈α∪with
␈↓ ↓H␈↓emphasis␈α⊂on␈α∂technological␈α⊂issues␈α∂related␈α⊂to␈α∂public␈α⊂a≥airs␈α∂and␈α⊂the␈α∂ways␈α⊂in␈α∂which␈α⊂ideology␈α∂has
␈↓ ↓H␈↓recently␈α
been␈αdistorting␈α
how␈αtechnological␈α
facts␈α
are␈αconsidered.␈α
 Since␈α␈↓↓National␈α
Review␈↓␈α
has␈αdone
␈↓ ↓H␈↓well␈αfor␈αtwenty␈αyears␈αwithout␈αsuch␈αa␈αcolumn,␈αI␈αshould␈αexplain␈αwhy␈αyou␈αneed␈αone␈αnow.␈α The␈αbasic
␈↓ ↓H␈↓reason␈α∪is␈α∪that␈α∪false␈α∪technological␈α∪arguments␈α∪are␈α∪being␈α∪given␈α∪for␈α∪liberal␈α∪policies,␈α∀and␈α∪many
␈↓ ↓H␈↓scientists␈αand␈αengineers␈αare␈αbeing␈αhypnotized␈αby␈αliberal␈αideology␈αinto␈αdistorting␈αscience.␈α ␈↓↓National
␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓Review␈↓'s␈α⊃arguments␈α⊃against␈α⊃liberal␈α⊃policies␈α⊃are␈α⊃incomplete␈α⊃without␈α⊃also␈α⊃exposing␈α⊂technological
␈↓ ↓H␈↓myths␈α
-␈α∞many␈α
of␈α∞which␈α
conservatives␈α∞have␈α
come␈α∞to␈α
accept,␈α∞because␈α
they␈α∞don't␈α
see␈α∞how␈α
ideology
␈↓ ↓H␈↓has biased science.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Until␈α∞the␈α∞late␈α∞1960s,␈α∂the␈α∞technology␈α∞used␈α∞to␈α∞generate␈α∂electricity,␈α∞to␈α∞mine␈α∞coal␈α∂or␈α∞transport
␈↓ ↓H␈↓people␈α
from␈α∞place␈α
to␈α∞place␈α
was␈α∞mainly␈α
considered␈α
 the␈α∞business␈α
of␈α∞the␈α
companies␈α∞that␈α
provided
␈↓ ↓H␈↓these␈αgoods␈α
and␈αservices.␈α Decisions␈α
about␈αwhat␈αtechnology␈α
to␈αuse␈αwere␈α
made␈αby␈α
corporations␈αon
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α⊃basis␈α⊃of␈α⊂present␈α⊃costs,␈α⊃likely␈α⊃future␈α⊂costs,␈α⊃and␈α⊃attractiveness␈α⊃of␈α⊂the␈α⊃results␈α⊃to␈α⊃present␈α⊂and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓potential␈α∞customers.␈α∞ Since␈α
the␈α∞18th␈α∞century,␈α∞when␈α
the␈α∞British␈α∞government␈α
o≥ered␈α∞a␈α∞prize␈α∞for␈α
a
␈↓ ↓H␈↓method␈α∀of␈α∀determining␈α∪longitude␈α∀at␈α∀sea,␈α∀governments␈α∪have␈α∀helped␈α∀develop␈α∀technology,␈α∪but
␈↓ ↓H␈↓government␈αdecisions␈αmainly␈αconcerned␈αhow␈αmuch␈αhelp␈αto␈αgive␈αwhat␈αindustry␈αand␈αwhat␈αform␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓help should take.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Now␈αtechnology␈αhas␈αbecome␈αa␈αplaything␈αof␈αideology.␈α For␈αexample,␈αit␈αis␈αpart␈αof␈αmost␈αliberal
␈↓ ↓H␈↓ideology␈αthat␈αtrains␈αare␈αgood␈αand␈αairplanes␈αare␈αbad,␈αthat␈αsolar␈αenergy␈αis␈αgood␈αand␈αnuclear␈αenergy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓is␈αbad,␈αthat␈αorganic␈αfarming␈αis␈αgood␈αand␈αfertilizer␈αis␈αbad,␈αthat␈αsmall␈αscale␈αtechnology␈αis␈αgood␈αand
␈↓ ↓H␈↓large␈α∀scale␈α∀technology␈α∀is␈α∀bad.␈α∀ Moreover,␈α∀scienti≡c␈α∀and␈α∀technological␈α∀arguments,␈α∀usually␈α∀ill-
␈↓ ↓H␈↓founded,␈α∂are␈α∂mobilized␈α∂to␈α∞support␈α∂policies␈α∂the␈α∂liberals␈α∞favor␈α∂for␈α∂other␈α∂reasons,␈α∂e.g␈α∞government
␈↓ ↓H␈↓regulation␈αwith␈αits␈αaccompanying␈αexpansion␈αof␈αbureaucracy.␈α The␈αmonetary␈αand␈αsocial␈αand␈α
health
␈↓ ↓H␈↓costs of some policies are minimized and others are exaggerated.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Reporting␈α∂of␈α∂scienti≡c␈α∂and␈α∂technological␈α∂news␈α∂is␈α∂increasingly␈α∂contaminated␈α∂by␈α∂ideological
␈↓ ↓H␈↓bias.␈α Through␈αour␈αcomputer,␈αwe␈αget␈αthe␈αAssociated␈αPress␈αA-wire␈αand␈αthe␈α␈↓↓New␈αYork␈αTimes␈↓␈αNews
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Service,␈α∪and␈α∪I␈α∪read␈α∪all␈α∪the␈α∪stories␈α∪with␈α∪the␈α∪word␈α∪"science"␈α∪in␈α∪them.␈α∪ About␈α∪half␈α∀show␈α∪an
␈↓ ↓H␈↓ideological bias - always liberal.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Scientists␈α_themselves␈α↔are␈α_under␈α↔increasing␈α_ideological␈α↔presssure␈α_and␈α_many␈α↔succumb,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓accepting␈α∩ideologically␈α⊃based␈α∩technological␈α∩presuppositions␈α⊃when␈α∩asked␈α⊃to␈α∩help␈α∩determine␈α⊃the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓consequences␈α∞of␈α∞proposed␈α∞government␈α∞policies.␈α∞ Most␈α∞scientists␈α∞are␈α∞politically␈α∞liberal␈α∞and␈α∞dislike
␈↓ ↓H␈↓opposing␈αthe␈αgood␈αguys.␈α Thus␈αlast␈αweek␈αI␈αreceived␈αa␈αletter␈αfrom␈αArgonne␈αNational␈αLaboratories,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and␈α⊂ERDA␈α⊂supported␈α⊂research␈α⊃center␈α⊂near␈α⊂Chicago,␈α⊂asking␈α⊃me␈α⊂and␈α⊂about␈α⊂20␈α⊃other␈α⊂Stanford
␈↓ ↓H␈↓faculty␈αto␈α
form␈αproject␈αto␈α
study␈αsmall␈α
scale␈αenergy␈αtechnology,␈α
promising␈αgovernment␈α
support.␈α It
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αMr. William Buckley␈↓ ¬uApril 3, 1977␈↓ 
nPage 2␈↓↓ 

␈↓ ↓H␈↓was␈αsuggested␈αthat␈αwe␈αread␈αE.F.␈αSchumacher's␈α␈↓↓Small␈αis␈αBeautiful␈↓␈αsubtitled␈α␈↓↓Economics␈αas␈αif␈αPeople
␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓Mattered␈↓␈αin␈αpreparation␈αfor␈αthe␈αmeeting.␈α I␈αread␈αthe␈αbook␈αa␈αcouple␈αyears␈αago,␈αwhen␈αit␈αbecame␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓bible␈α∞of␈α∞the␈α∞"appropriate␈α∞technology"␈α∂movement.␈α∞ Governor␈α∞Brown␈α∞of␈α∞California␈α∞is␈α∂reported␈α∞to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓base␈αpolicy␈αon␈αit␈αand␈αPresident␈αCarter␈αis␈α
recently␈αreported␈αto␈αfavor␈αit.␈α It␈αis␈αa␈αcollection␈α
of␈αessays
␈↓ ↓H␈↓written␈αat␈α
di≥erent␈αtimes,␈α
inconsistent␈αamong␈αthemselves.␈α
 Its␈αmain␈α
force␈αis␈α
moralistic;␈αif␈αyou␈α
doubt
␈↓ ↓H␈↓even␈α⊂its␈α⊂technological␈α⊂contentions,␈α⊂you␈α⊃are␈α⊂guilty␈α⊂of␈α⊂supporting␈α⊂colonial␈α⊃oppression,␈α⊂arrogantly
␈↓ ↓H␈↓imposing␈α∂Western␈α∂ways␈α∂on␈α∞the␈α∂natives,␈α∂and␈α∂dehumanizing␈α∂life;␈α∞in␈α∂fact␈α∂you're␈α∂a␈α∂robot␈α∞yourself.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Like␈α∂the␈α∂␈↓↓Sayings␈α⊂of␈α∂Chairman␈α∂Mao␈↓,␈α⊂it␈α∂is␈α∂subject␈α∂to␈α⊂exegesis,␈α∂and␈α∂when␈α⊂it␈α∂seems␈α∂to␈α⊂be␈α∂talking
␈↓ ↓H␈↓nonsense,␈α⊃it␈α⊂only␈α⊃shows␈α⊃you␈α⊂aren't␈α⊃interpreting␈α⊃it␈α⊂properly.␈α⊃ I␈α⊂regret␈α⊃to␈α⊃say␈α⊂that␈α⊃many␈α⊃of␈α⊂my
␈↓ ↓H␈↓colleagues␈αhave␈αno␈αdefense␈αagainst␈αsuch␈αmoralistic␈αattacks␈αand␈αwill␈αagree␈αto␈αanything␈αrather␈αthan
␈↓ ↓H␈↓be␈αconsidered␈αuncultured␈αengineers.␈α
 Alas,␈αC.P.␈αSnow␈αwas␈α
wrong,␈αand␈αthere␈αare␈α
at␈αmost␈αone␈αand␈α
a
␈↓ ↓H␈↓half cultures.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        My␈αquali≡cations␈α
are␈αas␈α
follows:␈αI␈α
am␈αProfessor␈α
of␈αComputer␈α
Science␈αat␈αStanford␈α
University
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and␈αDirector␈αof␈αthe␈αStanford␈αArti≡cial␈αIntelligence␈αLaboratory␈α(concerned␈αwith␈αmaking␈αcomputers
␈↓ ↓H␈↓behave␈α
as␈αintelligently␈α
as␈α
possible).␈α I␈α
am␈αalso␈α
a␈α
member␈αof␈α
the␈α
Academic␈αAdvisory␈α
Council␈αof␈α
the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓National␈αLegal␈αCenter␈αfor␈αthe␈αPublic␈αInterest,␈αa␈αpublic␈αinterest␈αorganization␈αthat␈α≡ghts␈αthe␈αothers
␈↓ ↓H␈↓when they go overboard.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        My␈αnon-technical␈αwritings␈αinclude␈αan␈αarticle␈αin␈α␈↓↓Scienti≡c␈αAmerican␈↓,␈αpieces␈αfor␈αthe␈αyearbooks
␈↓ ↓H␈↓of␈α⊂the␈α⊂␈↓↓Encyclopedia␈α⊂Britannica␈↓,␈α⊂the␈α⊂␈↓↓World␈α⊂Book␈↓,␈α⊂and␈α⊂the␈α⊂␈↓↓Grolier␈α⊂Encyclopedia␈↓␈α⊂and␈α⊂a␈α⊃series␈α⊂of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓commentaries␈α∂on␈α∂the␈α∂articles␈α∂in␈α∞a␈α∂study␈α∂of␈α∂the␈α∂future␈α∞impact␈α∂of␈α∂computers.␈α∂ The␈α∂latter␈α∂will␈α∞be
␈↓ ↓H␈↓included␈αwith␈αthe␈αarticles␈αwhen␈αthey␈αare␈αpublished␈αby␈αM.I.T.␈αPress.␈α I␈αam␈αalso␈αwriting␈αa␈αbook␈αon
␈↓ ↓H␈↓technology␈αand␈αsociety␈αthat␈αconcerns␈α
what␈αcan␈αand␈αshould␈αbe␈α
invented.␈α I␈αhave␈αnot␈αyet␈αwritten␈α
for
␈↓ ↓H␈↓any national non-technical magazines.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        I␈αenclose␈αsome␈αwritings,␈αnone␈αof␈αwhich␈αis␈αexactly␈αsuitable␈αfor␈αa␈αcolumn,␈αbut␈αI␈αwill␈αsubmit␈αa
␈↓ ↓H␈↓sample column if you consider it worthwhile.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        The␈αfollowing␈αpeople␈αwill␈αsay␈αgood␈αthings␈αabout␈αme␈α(I␈αthink):␈αEdward␈αTeller,␈αSidney␈αHook,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Alphonse␈α∃Juilland␈α∃(a␈α∃Stanford␈α∃Professor␈α∃of␈α∃French␈α∃who␈α∃has␈α∃written␈α∃for␈α∃␈↓↓NR␈↓),␈α∃and␈α∃Miro
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Todorovich␈α(Professor␈αof␈αPhysics␈αat␈αColumbia␈αand␈αChairman␈αof␈αthe␈αAcademic␈αAdvisory␈αCouncil
␈↓ ↓H␈↓of the National Legal Center for the Public Interest).

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        The␈α
following␈α
sample␈α
column␈α
topics␈α
come␈α
to␈α
mind:␈α
Carter's␈α
recipe␈α
for␈α
energy␈α
poverty␈αand
␈↓ ↓H␈↓impotence␈α(if␈αit␈α
turns␈αout␈αto␈α
be␈αsuch),␈αmust␈αwe␈α
really␈αuse␈αless␈α
energy␈αin␈αthe␈α
future␈αand␈αwhat␈αdo␈α
we
␈↓ ↓H␈↓get␈α
for␈αthe␈α
energy␈αwe␈α
use,␈αthe␈α
twenty␈αtrillion␈α
dollars␈αworth␈α
of␈αdepleted␈α
uranium␈αat␈α
Oak␈αRidge,␈α
has
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α
automobile␈αbeen␈α
a␈αdisaster,␈α
pop␈αtechnology␈α
with␈αBART␈α
as␈αan␈α
example,␈αwhy␈α
we␈αshouldn't␈α
give
␈↓ ↓H␈↓electronic␈αmail␈αto␈αto␈αthe␈αPostal␈αService,␈αthe␈αugly␈αaspects␈αof␈α␈↓↓Small␈αis␈αBeautiful␈↓,␈αscience␈αdistorted␈αby
␈↓ ↓H␈↓ideology␈α∞in␈α
the␈α∞National␈α∞Academy␈α
of␈α∞Sciences␈α∞review␈α
of␈α∞Beckman's␈α∞␈↓↓The␈α
Health␈α∞Hazards␈α∞of␈α
not
␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓Going␈α∀Nuclear␈↓.␈α∀ the␈α∀media␈α∪on␈α∀energy,␈α∀especially␈α∀nuclear␈α∪science␈α∀and␈α∀politics␈α∀in␈α∀the␈α∪Carter
␈↓ ↓H␈↓administration␈α∂American␈α∞export␈α∂of␈α∞anti-technology␈α∂ideology␈α∞the␈α∂saccharin␈α∞issue,␈α∂is␈α∞this␈α∂a␈α∞"post-
␈↓ ↓H␈↓industrial␈α∞society",␈α∞why␈α∞the␈α∞Russians␈α∞are␈α∞further␈α∞behind␈α∞in␈α∞computers␈α∞than␈α∞they␈α∞were␈α∞ten␈α
years
␈↓ ↓H␈↓ago,␈α∞why␈α∞Brazil␈α∞is␈α∞right␈α∞in␈α∞defying␈α∞Carter,␈α
how␈α∞computer␈α∞terminals␈α∞in␈α∞the␈α∞home␈α∞will␈α∞make␈α
the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓authors independent of the publishers.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        While I think you need something in every issue,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Sincerely,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αMr. William Buckley␈↓ ¬uApril 3, 1977␈↓ 
nPage 3␈↓




␈↓ ↓H␈↓John McCarthy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Director
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Professor of Computer Science