COMMENT ⊗   VALID 00002 PAGES
C REC  PAGE   DESCRIPTION
C00001 00001
C00002 00002	1. The question which appears to be asked only rarely is what pressing
C00006 ENDMK
C⊗;
1. The question which appears to be asked only rarely is what pressing
problems this innundation of technological fixes is supposed to attack.

Maybe no problems.  Perhaps they only give individuals some opportunities.
Since no sacrifices are being requested, it requires only the that
the gadgets that further computer development makes available, seem
worth their price to the potential purchasers.  It is hard to see what
"pressing problem" the pocket calculator fixes, but we have them.

Weizenbaum's desire that all be subordinated to fixing " the aimlessness of
everyday life experienced by millions" is somewhat dubious.  Perhaps
the millions would worry that Weizenbaum has some authoritarian prescription
should people under his influence obtain power.

"overly technological society".  How so?

National information policy (quote from Bell on p. 784).  I see now
obvious need for a National Information policy except of the most
limited sort.  The Government should pay for a computerized version
of the Library of Congress (or else franchise a private monopoly
to do the same).  The only reason for this is that the one-shot
conversion of world literature seems to be a natural monopoly.

"scientism" p.787, of which I am an adherent (at least as the
term is defined by some of its detractors) is not an extension
of positivism.

As to Vietnam, no amount of computers will fix a bad policy -
whether the defect in policy be cowardice (as I think) or
imperialism (as Weizenbaum thinks).  Admiral Moorer is quoted
as criticizing computers, but he probably had even more critical
thoughts about the President, Congress, the intellectuals and
politicians generallly.

Weizenbaum is using an example from a field (Vietnam), in which
most intellectuals agree with him, to make irrelevant points.
Lieutenant Calley was convicted.

p.795 - While no-one may fully understand IBM's largest operating
systems for the 370, it is known that they cannot do anything
but allocate resources on the basis of very narrow criteria.  They
cannot act like HAL.