Ramblings of a Technology Addict

Monday, June 16, 2003

Metis, or, Why The Anti-War Crowd Is Confused

For those that have read the Cryptonomicon, flip toward the end where Enoch Root and Randy Waterhouse are discussing the difference between Athena worshippers and Ares worshippers. The basic jist of Stephenson's argument is that the United States tends to be a large group of people that are specifically charged with protecting their own freedoms and paving the way for a large world full of people who don't have direct intents to kill each other. The trick is, a lot of people out there are more focused on direct force and lots of weapons and not a lot of cunning and, well, metis, which is tactical cunning and use of technology. Metis is the general bailiwick of Athena, who is responsible for Odysseus and a few other major Greek superheroes whupping the ass of Ares and his minions, who are mainly interested in power, specifically, the destructive variety.
Shall we examine the United States? Capitalist, free-economy crowd. Foreign Policy consisting of "Don't Fuck With Us." and "Please, trade with us and buy our extremely cool products." Currently, we select our leaders through a series of elections, which, for the most part, are unquestioned. Riots tend not to break out in the streets. Mostly, we tend to do our bit for King and Country, fight generally only when threatened, and then we tend to do it with a ferocity that tends to make people like the French crap their pants.
Now, let's look at the Al Qaeda crowd. No economy. No Foreign Policy aside from "It's not Islamic? It's crap. Bomb it. Preferably using some crazed teenager with a metric assload of TNT strapped to his waist and a seriously bad case of hero-worship." Because this sort require no additional technology or cunning than they've already stolen or otherwise acquired, they are unprepared when they come across technology.
The Aegis that we provide, with technology, and cunning, to the world is one that they are unwilling to receive because they cannot cope with the fact that they aren't the ones providing it. Either because they are ashamed they cannot commit to the same freedoms, or because they aren't the ones standing up in the first place.
7:54:48 PM comment []

Travel!

I'm very excited today, I can see my California trip scrolling slowly up the calendar window. In a little less than three weeks, Tiffany and I will hop a JetBlue flight for Oakland and we'll spend three or four days in the Golden State over the 4th of July long weekend. We'll crank ice cream and watch the Bike Races, see the Fireworks in Davis in Community Park. We're planning an excursion down to Monterey to see the Sea Otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, walk on Asilomar State Beach and see the Tide Pools there, then trek up to the Big City for dinner with Chris, Gretchen and Courtney amongst others. The next day will be a deep exploration of the wilds of Yolo County, as well as possibly an excursion to the coastal hills. There may also be In-n-Out Burger. Or Murder, er, I mean, Redrum Burger.
Are you in Central California? Have suggestions of people to see or places to go? Comment away.
10:38:44 AM comment []