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Saturday, January 2, 2010
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The Internet revolution has changed the face of our planet. Over the last 20 years there's been a complete transformation of the way we live, conduct business, and share information. In the same amount of time, information technology has helped bring countless atrocities committed by governments, and global corporations into view. We've seen the rise of groups like "We Are Change", and birthing of the "Truth Movement"; which has kicked off a viral, and grassroots information wave. The Internet's been in many regards a saving grace of mankind, and in the same likeness the greatest threat to the establishment!Recently, we had the Global Warming talks in Copenhagen; they were a failure! What else could come from the exposure of emails showing fudged data on Global Warming? Nothing is what. Climate Gate[1] changed what would have been global "Cap, & Trade" agreements, and other carbon tax legislation from an assured victory at Copenhagen, to an embarrassment. Al Gore decided it'd be better not to show up at all, after having to run from angry mobs, and being pelted by snow balls due to the leaks. The only thing that came of the conference, was a poor attempt at "saving face" through a non binding resolution.Those hiding behind governments, and global corporations have long known the necessity of owning the Hearts, and Minds[2] of the people; in order to further their agendas. We've learned catchy phrases which embody the techniques. Some of these would include; "Divide, and Conquer", "Smoke, & Mirrors", "Order out of Chaos", "Problem, Reaction, Solution". Through the usage of these tools, perceptions can be changed, and goals can be accomplished. The US Govt. has actively sought to win the Hearts, and Minds of people openly since the Cold War.During the height of the Cold War, and Civil Rights movement, the FBI created COINTEL[3]; which is an acronym of various programs the US Govt. used to deal with both issues. The methods used in COINTEL were inline with the techniques mentioned above. The overall goal was to control the information, and/or distort it so as to crush all legitimate opposition to the US Policy, or Hegemony of the time. This propaganda machine officially ended, but from the information presented below, it looks as though it is going stronger than ever before; and the Internet is the new battle ground.There is subversion being committed across the World Wide Web on an ever increasing basis. The mainstream media has been very active in the shaping of our feelings, and thoughts, from the bottom up to meet current policy. We' have MSM Journalists self censoring for advancement, or towing the party line. We see corporate MSM censorship through management, Government censorship of the MSM, and all culminating into supporting policies, such as war[4]. A recent article regarding a book by Nick Davies called, "How the spooks took over the news", delves into how the world governments will insert stories at the community level, several years before a given agenda is needed."For the first time in human history, there is a concerted strategy to manipulate global perception. And the mass media are operating as compliant assistants, failing both to resist it and to expose it.""The sheer ease with which this machinery has been able to do its work reflects a creeping structural weakness which now afflicts the production of our news. I've spent the last two years researching books about falsehood, distortion and propaganda in the global media."[4]In the USA, we have several groups designated to shape, and alter perceptions. The U.S. Army Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne)[6], or USACAPOC(A), consists of 40 Army Reserve units, or around 10,000 soldiers, who are stationed across the USA, are among many leading the mission of COINTEL. They have two main components, Civil Affairs, which is largely made up of lawyers, judges, physicians, bankers, health inspectors, fire chiefs,[7] or other professionals who can deal directly with the Civil nature of shaping a communities perception. The other portion is Psychological Operations; both operate by sword, deed, and word to alter Hearts, and Minds.Another tactic being used in the U.S. is to actually pay operatives to create havoc, or to further the fury of an average person, so they will attempt an act associated with a criminal, or terrorism element. Hal Turner is an example of an operative employed by the US Govt. to further agendas, and policies. In his own words,"I was not some street snitch"[8]; in fact in his own words,"I was a deep undercover intelligence operative". According to the FBI,"Special Agent Stephen Haug wrote that "[Turner's] value outweighs the discomfort associated with source's rhetoric. Source's unique access provides important intelligence which, if lost, would be irreplaceable." Another FBI memo cited that Turner "has proven highly reliable and is in a unique position to provide vital information on multiple subversive domestic organizations."[8] Note the words subversive domestic organizations.Do you feel left out, or would you like to get in on the gravy train; while at the same time selling out your fellow man? The US Govt. with 5 million US Dollars is promoting, and paying bloggers, texters, and building websites across the Middle East, and North Africa![9] The official purpose is to spread ideologies, and learning to embrace others ideas. Of course through the wreaking putrid of the rhetoric comes the truth; it's to promote US Democracy through the Arab world. I can read the websites now,"Freedom is the freedom to comply with The Patriot Act!"Countries like Israel implement direct subversion, or disinformation as well. [10]"Israel's Foreign Ministry is hiring students and demobilized soldiers who will work around the clock writing pro-Israeli responses on Internet websites all over the world.... presenting themselves as ordinary surfers...This is in addition to the existing Israeli volunteer internet task forces & propaganda applications like Megaphone & GIYUS - a chief Israeli propagandist is interviewed below....“Our people will not say: ‘Hello, I am from the policy-explanation department of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and I want to tell you the following.’ Nor will they necessarily identify themselves as Israelis. They will speak as net-surfers and as citizens, and will write responses that will look personal but will be based on a prepared list of messages that the Foreign Ministry developed.”[10]Amongst the many groups on the Net fighting the struggle for Israel, is the Jewish Internet Defense Forces[11]. From their homepage,"leading the fight against antisemitism, and terrorism on the web, coordinating concerned citizens around the globe, and promoting jewish pride, knowledge, and unity." A striking quality about any of these different groups, or the controlled MSM, who are sent out to propagandize the Hearts, and Minds of the people, is that they always cite Anonymous sources, or don't cite who the "officials" are who said "what". These kinds of propaganda articles are now common place[12].Other countries around the world are implementing strategies to combat the information wave of the Internet; which is destroying their hold on the Hearts, and Minds of people worldwide. Australia's Government has instituted their new Cyber Security Strategy[13]. It's goals are of course always painted in a nice shiny, and clean picture. They'll be focusing on legitimate cyber crimes, and of course they'll have to monitor *possible* terrorist activities. They have created their own Computer Emergency Response Team, or CERT as the main crime fighter; the program will begin operation January 2010, and will coordinate their activities with other National CERT's across the globe to combat Internet crimes, or as is becoming abundantly clear, to infiltrate, and use propaganda to halt the Information revolution.The saying goes something like, if at first you don't succeed, then try, try again; right? Well, that's exactly what the US Govt. is doing. The FBI now is installing super spyware on people's personal computers. They are using "Computer, and Internet Protocol Address Verifiers", or CIPAV to infiltrate personal computers, or systems, download all files, and upload to government servers in Virginia[14] It sounds somewhat "1984ish", but imagine with everything covered so far, and taking into context what COINTEL did by replacing words, or meanings, imagine what they can upload to your own computer without the users ever knowing.It's not just the FBI with their fancy CIPAV, but the actual giant Internet companies who've been bought out are complicit with this ever increasing war for our Hearts, and Minds; through information. Google is catering to the CIA, NSA, FBI, and to most other Government agencies by offering the tools necessary to scavenge stored data, and other electronic media. They are also offering a closed "Intellipedia, a Wikipedia knock off for spooks.[15] Not only Google, but most US social networks have been caught selling private chats, photos, and emails to Governments.The Internet is proving to be a real hassle for the corporate, and government elites. Leaked evidence that Yahoo is selling all documents for a given user to the U.S. Government for between $30 to $80 has surfaced recently. Not only are they selling the contents of what we feel is our private area, but also the IP addresses of where we sign on.[16] This is not limited to Yahoo, and Google, but again spans the innertubes of the Internet. The U.S. Federal Government, and other government's are actively trying to not only use subversive means to control information, but also to mark those who present a problem; apparently so as to isolate them in the future.It's a massive amount of data to be stored, and would almost seem impossible. However, we must remember the U.S. Govt., and the Federal Reserve print money 24 hours a day. They are building Fusion Centers across the country, and implementing computer systems such as Maincore. In Utah, the "National Security Agency is constructing a colossal $1.9 billion information storage center at Camp Williams which could be considered a power trip. But it's not the sort of power trip that keeps civil libertarians lying awake at night. No, this power grab is for the stuff of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla — the juice needed to keep acres of NSA supercomputers humming and a cyber eye peeled for the world's bad guys."[17] The problem is, that what the government considers as the bad guys is becoming the average American people, and in a hurry!The deal is that people behind, or in control of governments, and global corporations realize the Internet is the one single threat that can create over night awareness into their ominous plans. They are attacking it, and people who are spreading information at every turn. Besides the leaks of Climate Gate, or Personal Data Gate, now there is the Secret Copyright Gate![18] See exert below:"* That ISPs have to proactively police copyright on user-contributed material. This means that it will be impossible to run a service like Flickr or YouTube or Blogger, since hiring enough lawyers to ensure that the mountain of material uploaded every second isn’t infringing will exceed any hope of profitability.* That ISPs have to cut off the Internet access of accused copyright infringers or face liability. This means that your entire family could be denied the internet — and hence to civic participation, health information, education, communications, and their means of earning a living — if one member is accused of copyright infringement, without access to a trial or counsel.* That the whole world must adopt US-style “notice-and-takedown” rules that require ISPs to remove any material that is accused — again, without evidence or trial — of infringing copyright. This will be a disaster in the US and other countries, where it provides an easy means of censoring material, just by accusing it of infringing copyright.*There will be mandatory prohibitions on breaking DRM, even if doing so for a lawful purpose (e.g., to make a work available to disabled people; for archival preservation; because you own the copyrighted work that is locked up with DRM)[/quote] Visit link for full text."[18]Welcome to the world of the DMCA's, and censorship![19] They are creating these treaties in combination with other censorship policies designed to limit access to undesirable websites; of course the policy maker's will decide what is "undesirable"[20], or which websites aren't fit to help foster the correct environment for the people in their country. It goes back to the beginning of this article; it is about winning, controlling, or owning the Hearts, and Minds of the people. Without owning those, the people behind the corporations controlling the policy makers who run governments cannot succeed. The Internet will be turned shortly, or the attempt will be made to turn it into an Orwellian hell of pay per click, or pay by minute. Followed with skewed, and distorted information.It will take all of us to stop these people from censoring the Internet in their battle to win control our hearts and minds.[1] http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Climate+Gate&aq=f&aqi=g4g-s1g5&oq=&fp=b36c7832dbb01be6[2] http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/08/13/a_bright_shining_slogan[3] http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/cointel.htm[4] http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2009/06/four-reasons-mainstream-media-is.html[5] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/how-the-spooks-took-over-%20the-news-780672.html[6] http://www.usacapoc.army.mil/[7] http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/ca-psyop.htm[8] http://rawstory.com/2009/11/report-fbi-viewed-ultraright-radio-informant-turner-irreplaceable/[9] http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/blog-your-way-to-democracy-and-make-money-at-it/[10] http://www.muzzlewatch.com/2009/07/14/that-angry-commenter-on-your-blog-may-actually-be-working-for-the-israeli-government/[10] http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2f1_1247746861&c=1[11] http://www.thejidf.org/[12] http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99GET3G0&show_article=1[13] http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/327642/updated_federal_government_launches_cybercrime_fighting_team[14] http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/04/fbi-spyware-pro/[15] http://www.infowars.net/articles/march2008/310308Google.htm[16] http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=622292[17] http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705352795/Big-Brother-is-coming.html?pg=1[18] http://dprogram.net/2009/11/04/secret-copyright-treaty-leaks-its-bad-very-bad/[19] http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/11/leaked-acta-internet-provisions-three-strikes-and-[20] http://www.infowars.com/death-of-the-internet-censorship-bills-in-uk-australia-u-s-aim-to-block-undesirable-websites/Authored by:Sancho Jones
In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.-Mark Twain
Return to Sancho's Place
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock
In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.-Mark Twain
Return to Sancho's Place
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock
Future Shock is a book written by the sociologist and futurist Alvin Toffler in 1970. It grew out of an article "The Future as a Way of Life" in Horizon magazine, Summer 1965 issue.[1][2][3][4] The book has sold over 6 million copies and has been widely translated.
Future shock is also a term for a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies, introduced by Toffler in his book of the same name. Toffler's shortest definition of future shock is a personal perception of "too much change in too short a period of time".
A documentary film based on the book was released in 1972 with Orson Welles as on-screen narrator.
Future shock is also a term for a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies, introduced by Toffler in his book of the same name. Toffler's shortest definition of future shock is a personal perception of "too much change in too short a period of time".
A documentary film based on the book was released in 1972 with Orson Welles as on-screen narrator.
[edit] Term
Toffler argues that society is undergoing an enormous structural change, a revolution from an industrial society to a "super-industrial society". This change will overwhelm people, the accelerated rate of technological and social change leaving them disconnected and suffering from "shattering stress and disorientation" – future shocked. Toffler stated that the majority of social problems were symptoms of the future shock. In his discussion of the components of such shock, he also coined the term information overload.
His analysis of that phenomenon is continued in his later publications, especially The Third Wave and Powershift.
Toffler argues that society is undergoing an enormous structural change, a revolution from an industrial society to a "super-industrial society". This change will overwhelm people, the accelerated rate of technological and social change leaving them disconnected and suffering from "shattering stress and disorientation" – future shocked. Toffler stated that the majority of social problems were symptoms of the future shock. In his discussion of the components of such shock, he also coined the term information overload.
His analysis of that phenomenon is continued in his later publications, especially The Third Wave and Powershift.
Curtis Mayfield's song "Future Shock" on the album "Back to the World" took its name from this book, and was in turn covered by Herbie Hancock as the title track for his 1983 recording Future Shock. That album was considered groundbreaking for fusing jazz and funk with electronic music. Darren Hayes name checks the phrase many times in his song "Me Myself And I". At least two more releases have been named for the book, a 1981 album by Gillan and a 1988 single by Stratovarius.
Other works taking their title from the book include: the Futurama episode "Future Stock"; a segment on the Daily Show starring Samantha Bee; Kevin Goldstein's recurring column on the Baseball Prospectus website; a Magic: The Gathering pre-constructed deck; and the National Wrestling Alliance's 1989 Starrcade event.
UK Comic 2000 AD ran a series of short stories called Future Shocks based on this concept, some of which were written by Alan Moore. The abbreviated derogatory term Futzies was applied to citizens in 2000 AD stories (mainly in the Judge Dredd universe) who had been driven insane by Future Shock.
Voiceworks #62 (Summer 2005), edited by Tom Doig, was themed Future Shock: 'The future is here. Are you ready for it? Increasing computing power and nanotechnology will usher in an era of artificial intelligence, electronic telepathy and virtual immortality within a matter of years...'
Works deriving themes and elements from Future Shock include the science fiction novels The Forever War (1974) by Joe Haldeman, The Shockwave Rider (1975) by John Brunner, the RPG Transhuman Space (2002) by Steve Jackson Games, and the indie RPG Shock: Social Science Fiction (2006) by designer Joshua A.C. Newman.
Other works taking their title from the book include: the Futurama episode "Future Stock"; a segment on the Daily Show starring Samantha Bee; Kevin Goldstein's recurring column on the Baseball Prospectus website; a Magic: The Gathering pre-constructed deck; and the National Wrestling Alliance's 1989 Starrcade event.
UK Comic 2000 AD ran a series of short stories called Future Shocks based on this concept, some of which were written by Alan Moore. The abbreviated derogatory term Futzies was applied to citizens in 2000 AD stories (mainly in the Judge Dredd universe) who had been driven insane by Future Shock.
Voiceworks #62 (Summer 2005), edited by Tom Doig, was themed Future Shock: 'The future is here. Are you ready for it? Increasing computing power and nanotechnology will usher in an era of artificial intelligence, electronic telepathy and virtual immortality within a matter of years...'
Works deriving themes and elements from Future Shock include the science fiction novels The Forever War (1974) by Joe Haldeman, The Shockwave Rider (1975) by John Brunner, the RPG Transhuman Space (2002) by Steve Jackson Games, and the indie RPG Shock: Social Science Fiction (2006) by designer Joshua A.C. Newman.
[edit] Further reading
Future Shock Levels by Eliezer Yudkowsky
Future Shock Level Analysis by Michael Anissimov
[edit] External links
Discussion the impact of language on Future Shock (Streaming audio & mp3)
Movie review for Future Shock
Click here to watch the whole movie of Future Shock
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock"
Future Shock Levels by Eliezer Yudkowsky
Future Shock Level Analysis by Michael Anissimov
[edit] External links
Discussion the impact of language on Future Shock (Streaming audio & mp3)
Movie review for Future Shock
Click here to watch the whole movie of Future Shock
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock"
Alvin Toffler (born October 3, 1928) is an American writer and futurist, known for his works discussing the digital revolution, communication revolution, corporate revolution and technological singularity. A former associate editor of Fortune magazine, his early work focused on technology and its impact (through effects like information overload). Then he moved to examining the reaction of and changes in society. His later focus has been on the increasing power of 21st century military hardware, weapons and technology proliferation, and capitalism. He is married to Heidi Toffler, also a writer and futurist. They live in Los Angeles. They wrote the books credited to "Alvin Toffler" together.[citation needed]
Accenture, the management consultancy firm, has dubbed him the third most influential voice among business leaders, after Bill Gates and Peter Drucker. He has also been described in the Financial Times as the "world's most famous futurologist".
People's Daily classes him among the 50 foreigners that shaped modern China.[3]
Accenture, the management consultancy firm, has dubbed him the third most influential voice among business leaders, after Bill Gates and Peter Drucker. He has also been described in the Financial Times as the "world's most famous futurologist".
People's Daily classes him among the 50 foreigners that shaped modern China.[3]
[edit] His ideas
Toffler explains, "Society needs people who take care of the elderly and who know how to be compassionate and honest. Society needs people who work in hospitals. Society needs all kinds of skills that are not just cognitive; they're emotional, they're affectional. You can't run the society on data and computers alone."[4] Toffler also states, in Rethinking the Future, that "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
In his book The Third Wave Toffler describes three types of societies, based on the concept of 'waves' - each wave pushes the older societies and cultures aside.
First Wave is the society after agrarian revolution and replaced the first hunter-gatherer cultures.
Second Wave is the society during the Industrial Revolution (ca. late 1600s through the mid-1900s). The main components of the Second Wave society are nuclear family, factory-type education system and the corporation. Toffler writes: "The Second Wave Society is industrial and based on mass production, mass distribution, mass consumption, mass education, mass media, mass recreation, mass entertainment, and weapons of mass destruction. You combine those things with standardization, centralization, concentration, and synchronization, and you wind up with a style of organization we call bureaucracy."
Third Wave is the post-industrial society. Toffler would also add that since late 1950s most countries are moving away from a Second Wave Society into what he would call a Third Wave Society. He coined lots of words to describe it and mentions names invented by him (super-industrial society) and other people (like the Information Age, Space Age, Electronic Era, Global Village, technetronic age, scientific-technological revolution), which to various degrees predicted demassification, diversity, knowledge-based production, and the acceleration of change (one of Toffler’s key maxims is "change is non-linear and can go backwards, forwards and sideways").
In this post-industrial society, there is a lot of diversity in lifestyles ("subcultures"). Adhocracies (fluid organizations) adapt quickly to changes. Information can substitute most of the material resources (see ersatz) and becomes the main material for workers (cognitarians instead of proletarians), who are loosely affiliated. Mass customization offers the possibility of cheap, personalized, production catering to small niches (see just-in-time production).
In his book The Third Wave Toffler says "...For this wisdom above all, we thank Mr.Jefferson, who helped create the system that served us so well for so long and that now must, in its turn, die and be replaced." Some understand these words as going against the Declaration of Independence and its principle that people have inalienable rights to govern themselves, and basic freedoms and liberties given by God. From this prospective, Toffler's effort is directed to the enslavement of the People of America and full suppression of their sovereignty.
The gap between producer and consumer is bridged by technology using a so called configuration system. "Prosumers" can fill their own needs (see open source, assembly kit, freelance work). This was the notion that new technologies are enabling the radical fusion of the producer and consumer into the prosumer. In some cases prosuming entails a “third job” where the corporation “outsources” its labor not to other countries, but to the unpaid consumer, such as when we do our own banking through an ATM instead of a teller that the bank must employ, or trace our own postal packages on the internet instead of relying on a paid clerk.
Aging societies will be using new (medical) technologies from self-diagnosis to instant toilet urinalysis to self-administered therapies delivered by nanotechnology to do for themselves what doctors used to do. This will change the way the whole health industry works.[citation needed]
Since the 1960s, people have been trying to make sense out of the impact of new technologies and social change. Toffler's writings have been influential beyond the confines of scientific, economic and public policy discussions. Techno music pioneer Juan Atkins cites Toffler's phrase "techno rebels" in Future Shock as inspiring him to use the word "techno" to describe the musical style he helped to create.
Toffler's works and ideas have been subject to various criticisms, usually with the same argumentation used against futurology: that foreseeing the future is nigh impossible. In the 1990s, his ideas were publicly lauded by Newt Gingrich.
In 1996 Alvin and Heidi Toffler founded Toffler Associates, an executive advisory firm committed to helping commercial firms and government agencies adjust to the changes described in the Tofflers' works.
The development Toffler believes may go down as this era's greatest turning point is the creation of wealth in outer space. Wealth today, he argues, is created everywhere (globalisation), nowhere (cyberspace), and out there (outer space). Global positioning satellites are key to synchronising precision time and data streams for everything from cellphone calls to ATM withdrawals. They allow just-in-time (JIT) productivity because of precise tracking. GPS is also becoming central to air-traffic control. And satellites increase agricultural productivity through tracking weather, enabling more accurate forecasts.
Two major predictions of Toffler's - the paperless office and human cloning - have yet to be realized, not due to technological barriers but to sociological and politico-religious conditions.
Also influenced Timothy Leary (see Info-Psychology; New Falcon Press, 2004)
Alvin Toffler is mentioned in the Dance Exponents' 1983 hit "Victoria".
Toffler explains, "Society needs people who take care of the elderly and who know how to be compassionate and honest. Society needs people who work in hospitals. Society needs all kinds of skills that are not just cognitive; they're emotional, they're affectional. You can't run the society on data and computers alone."[4] Toffler also states, in Rethinking the Future, that "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
In his book The Third Wave Toffler describes three types of societies, based on the concept of 'waves' - each wave pushes the older societies and cultures aside.
First Wave is the society after agrarian revolution and replaced the first hunter-gatherer cultures.
Second Wave is the society during the Industrial Revolution (ca. late 1600s through the mid-1900s). The main components of the Second Wave society are nuclear family, factory-type education system and the corporation. Toffler writes: "The Second Wave Society is industrial and based on mass production, mass distribution, mass consumption, mass education, mass media, mass recreation, mass entertainment, and weapons of mass destruction. You combine those things with standardization, centralization, concentration, and synchronization, and you wind up with a style of organization we call bureaucracy."
Third Wave is the post-industrial society. Toffler would also add that since late 1950s most countries are moving away from a Second Wave Society into what he would call a Third Wave Society. He coined lots of words to describe it and mentions names invented by him (super-industrial society) and other people (like the Information Age, Space Age, Electronic Era, Global Village, technetronic age, scientific-technological revolution), which to various degrees predicted demassification, diversity, knowledge-based production, and the acceleration of change (one of Toffler’s key maxims is "change is non-linear and can go backwards, forwards and sideways").
In this post-industrial society, there is a lot of diversity in lifestyles ("subcultures"). Adhocracies (fluid organizations) adapt quickly to changes. Information can substitute most of the material resources (see ersatz) and becomes the main material for workers (cognitarians instead of proletarians), who are loosely affiliated. Mass customization offers the possibility of cheap, personalized, production catering to small niches (see just-in-time production).
In his book The Third Wave Toffler says "...For this wisdom above all, we thank Mr.Jefferson, who helped create the system that served us so well for so long and that now must, in its turn, die and be replaced." Some understand these words as going against the Declaration of Independence and its principle that people have inalienable rights to govern themselves, and basic freedoms and liberties given by God. From this prospective, Toffler's effort is directed to the enslavement of the People of America and full suppression of their sovereignty.
The gap between producer and consumer is bridged by technology using a so called configuration system. "Prosumers" can fill their own needs (see open source, assembly kit, freelance work). This was the notion that new technologies are enabling the radical fusion of the producer and consumer into the prosumer. In some cases prosuming entails a “third job” where the corporation “outsources” its labor not to other countries, but to the unpaid consumer, such as when we do our own banking through an ATM instead of a teller that the bank must employ, or trace our own postal packages on the internet instead of relying on a paid clerk.
Aging societies will be using new (medical) technologies from self-diagnosis to instant toilet urinalysis to self-administered therapies delivered by nanotechnology to do for themselves what doctors used to do. This will change the way the whole health industry works.[citation needed]
Since the 1960s, people have been trying to make sense out of the impact of new technologies and social change. Toffler's writings have been influential beyond the confines of scientific, economic and public policy discussions. Techno music pioneer Juan Atkins cites Toffler's phrase "techno rebels" in Future Shock as inspiring him to use the word "techno" to describe the musical style he helped to create.
Toffler's works and ideas have been subject to various criticisms, usually with the same argumentation used against futurology: that foreseeing the future is nigh impossible. In the 1990s, his ideas were publicly lauded by Newt Gingrich.
In 1996 Alvin and Heidi Toffler founded Toffler Associates, an executive advisory firm committed to helping commercial firms and government agencies adjust to the changes described in the Tofflers' works.
The development Toffler believes may go down as this era's greatest turning point is the creation of wealth in outer space. Wealth today, he argues, is created everywhere (globalisation), nowhere (cyberspace), and out there (outer space). Global positioning satellites are key to synchronising precision time and data streams for everything from cellphone calls to ATM withdrawals. They allow just-in-time (JIT) productivity because of precise tracking. GPS is also becoming central to air-traffic control. And satellites increase agricultural productivity through tracking weather, enabling more accurate forecasts.
Two major predictions of Toffler's - the paperless office and human cloning - have yet to be realized, not due to technological barriers but to sociological and politico-religious conditions.
Also influenced Timothy Leary (see Info-Psychology; New Falcon Press, 2004)
Alvin Toffler is mentioned in the Dance Exponents' 1983 hit "Victoria".
Alvin Toffler co-wrote his books with his wife Heidi. A few of their well-known works are:
Future Shock (1970) Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-27737-5
The Eco-Spasm Report (1975) Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-14474-X
The Third Wave (1980) Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-24698-4
Previews & Premises (1983)
The Adaptive Corporation (1985) McGraw-Hill
Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century (1990) Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-29215-3
War and Anti-War (1995) Warner Books ISBN 0-446-60259-0
Revolutionary Wealth (2006) Knopf ISBN 0-375-40174-1
Future Shock (1970) Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-27737-5
The Eco-Spasm Report (1975) Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-14474-X
The Third Wave (1980) Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-24698-4
Previews & Premises (1983)
The Adaptive Corporation (1985) McGraw-Hill
Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century (1990) Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-29215-3
War and Anti-War (1995) Warner Books ISBN 0-446-60259-0
Revolutionary Wealth (2006) Knopf ISBN 0-375-40174-1
[edit] External links
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alvin Toffler
Official Website
Toffler Associates, the executive advisory firm formed by Alvin and Heidi Toffler.
After Words: Alvin Toffler interviewed by Newt Gingrich (Real Audio format)
Alvin Toffler interview on The Gregory Mantell Show
BookTalk.org: discuss Alvin Toffler's Future Shock with other readers
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Toffler"
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alvin Toffler
Official Website
Toffler Associates, the executive advisory firm formed by Alvin and Heidi Toffler.
After Words: Alvin Toffler interviewed by Newt Gingrich (Real Audio format)
Alvin Toffler interview on The Gregory Mantell Show
BookTalk.org: discuss Alvin Toffler's Future Shock with other readers
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Toffler"
[edit] References
^ http://www.alvintoffler.net/?fa=biospartnership
^ http://www.alvintoffler.net/?fa=biosaffiliations
^ 50 foreigners shaping China's modern development, 30 August 2006. Coverage at the Tofflers' site
^ Alvin Toffler interviewed by Norman Swann, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National, "Life Matters", 5 March 1998.
^ http://www.alvintoffler.net/?fa=biospartnership
^ http://www.alvintoffler.net/?fa=biosaffiliations
^ 50 foreigners shaping China's modern development, 30 August 2006. Coverage at the Tofflers' site
^ Alvin Toffler interviewed by Norman Swann, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National, "Life Matters", 5 March 1998.
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