The Protectorate

I got a detail wrong before as a result of commenting on a book while rereading it instead of waiting till the end. In Poul Anderson's Shield (New York, 1970), the American Protectorate is global despite what I said two posts ago. It bans armed forces beyond the level of police forces in all other countries, including China. Despite this, China remains a rival power because it clandestinely supports "...a network of agents and agitators..." while disowning them officially and this works because there are not enough qualified inspectors (p. 56).

Thus, the Americans play the same role here as the Maurai in their series and the Swedes in Tau Zero. What has become of the Russians? I think that something was said about their fate but have not yet found it looking back. (Meanwhile, my forty three year old paperback copy of Shield is falling apart.)

Another occasional idea in science fiction, for example in James Blish's The Star Dwellers and also here, is enhanced education techniques in the future. In Shield, because of his high IQ, Peter Koskinen is raised by the Institute, taking "...a master's degree in physics with a minor in symbolics at the age of eighteen..." (the year my generation started their first degree) and is immediately accepted for a Mars expedition (p. 7). The country needs many trained personnel fast so the means are found.

Future differences in beliefs and worldviews are shown by different expletives in characters' speech. Koskinen prays, "God...or Existence, or whatever you are..." (p. 20) and again, "Great Existence..." (p. 35)

- so ontology has replaced theology?