Ideological conflicts in high tech futures might be so subtle as scarcely to be recognizable as such. In Poul Anderson's
The Fleet Of Stars, the machines mean not to murder or massacre but merely to mislead. If, which I do not believe, post-organic intelligences were to regard the cosmic proliferation of humanity as chaotic (granted), therefore problematic (why?), then extermination would be the simplest "solution," indeed a "final" one. See
Berserkers and
Another Berserker.
However, the cybercosm has qualms about violence although not about deception leading to demoralization and eventual extinction: same end, sanitized means. I question not the possibility of post-organic intelligences but the premise that this kind of conflict would arise between post-organics and organics.
In "Subtler Wars, Part II," we will consider the details of how this war by other means is waged.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And I question the kind of optimism you seem to express here! Considering my bleak view of how intelligent beings so often think, behave, act, etc., in the real world, I would not be surprised if something like the cybercosm in THE FLEET OF STARS did attempt to at least deceive and mislead mankind.
Sean
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