Wednesday, February 04, 2009

The best technology may not always prevail

Today's gas prices are way out of control and the need for the use of other resources is absolutely necessary. In order for our great country to rid our self from the dependence of the Middle East, we as Americans need to start thinking outside the box and create new outlets of producing energy. Think about it, wouldn't it be nice to fill the tank of your car with corn oils or charge the battery before you leave the house. The amount of money saved would be enormous but also it would keep our great country a little more save from terrorism. According to Star on page one he states, "By constitutive choices I mean those that create the material and institutional framework of fields of human activity. My premise here is that the constraints in the architecture of technical systems and social institutions are rarely so clear and over powering as to compel a single design." This meaning the best technology and or political powers may not be put to use even if they are best suited for the society. But the best and most efficient alternative for energy may not win out in America because of the fear of change. People are too afraid of stepping outside their comfort zone and trying something new even if it will improve the conditions in the United States, economically, socially, politically. According to the great philosopher John Stuart Mills, individuals should do" the greatest good for the greatest amount of people." If Utilitarianism still holds true today, our government has to be put to blame for not looking out for the peoples best interest.

2 Comments:

At 11:59 PM, Blogger Joe said...

While I completely agree, the problem with this idea is the fact that the people of this country have much less control than we're led to believe. You should see the movie "Who Killed The Electric Car". It shows how the auto industries sabotaged their own invention in favor of their relationship with the oil companies. In the end, greed destroyed the hope of any kind of change in the auto industry. Blind, ignorant greed. What else could bring a human being to fly a private jet to Washington and beg for money?

 
At 10:05 PM, Blogger A. Mattson said...

A comment.

On the post, You have underlined a key point that Starr makes: The best technology does not always win out. Technological choices are often made for political reasons rather than productivity or efficiency. That insight relates to media technology as well as alternative energy.

 

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