Comments on: Thoughts About The Unabomber’s Manifesto – Industrial Society and its Future

By: Freedomism

Freedomism — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:47:44 +0000

Starchild, your observations of society are dead on mine. “its not the gun, its the mind behind the gun” this phrase can be used to explain problems in our society with the use of technology. Technology, like guns, is already existent in our society and along with guns will not suddenly vacate the planet. So.. this problem will not go away meaning we must HANDLE it. I emphasize handle for weaker peoples may just say “deal” with it. Anyway, like the gun phrase, technology itself is not bringing harm to human beings standard of living BUT THOSE WHO CONTROL IT and how they use it do. Afterall, why would any debate the fact that technology is what free’s mankind of his unwanted circumstances. Technology allows for efficiency and thats what every person desires. Efficiency allows for more free time…and who doesnt want free time? Id like to keep going but this philosophical conversation is one i would need to verbally communicate as it is so vast.

By: Frank Grimes

Frank Grimes — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:49:07 +0000

Look at the simpsons – Homer’s enemy for an example of the madness were in :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer’s_Enemy

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:41:32 +0000

Intellectually, it is a powerful piece of writing. In terms of the actions he advocates, it’s sick. One wishes that the clearly talented Kaczynski had used his talents to constructively make his vision possible, rather than pursuing that vision with destructive and useless means. There is lots of wilderness to live on, if he’d wished to do that! But instead, his actions and philosophy are like a rational mind falling apart due to a mental disorder. Only a few people ever understood what he was getting at after he published his manifesto, and as far as I can tell, they all disagree with him. I guess the ‘mad professor’ stereotype in movies, of the thin line between genius and homocidally insane, may contain a grain of truth. Hopefully, this can serve as a warning to people of today, so that they don’t make the same mistakes.

By: boots

boots — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:17:49 +0000

Several of you have called this man crazy.He was a brillant mind who was fustrated and outnumbered.He used the bombings to get attention,then he schooled us with “industrial society & its future”.I dont respect his violence in any shape,form or fashion.But he was not crazy.Crazy people dont make bombs,he was a terrorists who was anti-technology & believed in his mind that he was anti-tech for a good reason.A lot of people agree with his thoughts about industrial technology but not his violence against innocent people or those he believed are responsibile for the current state of society.

By: visitor

visitor — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:31:12 +0000

TheBoBo, I’m pretty sure that you didn’t read the “manifesto.” You make valid observations, but no argument; your observations about bioengineering, survival technology, and entrepreneurship are the very basis for the ideals Kaczynski developed.
And HeyYO, if you aren’t sure what he was trying to accomplish, you could try reading through it before commenting. Although true that he used technology to make his statement, he addresses that:
“202. It would be hopeless for revolutionaries to try to attack the system without using some modern technology. If nothing else they must use the communications media to spread their message. But they should use modern technology for only one purpose: to attack the technological system.”
Furthermore, we are reminded that we haven’t always depended on technology to survive–at least in the sense of technology today, i.e. to replace human autonomy–and we certainly haven’t always strived and wanted for more. Kaczynski cites the Australian aborigines, traditional Mexican peasant culture, and some African cultures as evidence that it isn’t natural to desire more than that which satisfies our basic physical needs.

Clearly Kaczynski was troubled. I am not, and the author of this post is not sympathizing with him, but some of his observations are legitimate. As an engineering student I agree with the poster that the manifesto provokes a sobering look at the state of our society and our role in it, if for no further purpose than self-reflection.