Dangerous Dependence
General Omar N. Bradley, who played a major role in World War
II, once observed that "[i]f we continue to develop our
technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to
be our executioner" (Quoteworld.org). This ominous prediction,
however doomsday it may sound, is well on its way to becoming
truth. Americans as a whole are too dependent on technology and
such dependence is dangerous.
Perhaps the most recent indication that Americans are asking
too much from technology is the Blackout of 2003, so designated
by our country's news anchors. On Thursday, August 14, some 50
million citizens were left literally "in the dark" from Detroit
to New York City in biggest and longest blackout in American
history. Remarkably, mass panic and rioting did not occur even
in New York. Officials actually remarked that the arrest rate
was lower that night than average (Adler). What did happen more
than usual were calls to the fire department to put out fires;
"a number of which were caused by New Yorkers' unfamiliarity
with the technology of candles" (Adler). As humorous as it is,
it also shows the serious consequence of over familiarity with
too much technology. Have we "progressed" so far that lighting a
match becomes as wondrous as it might have been to ancient
people who accidentally caused a spark to set wood on fire?
Fires were not the only trouble that night; hundreds of people
were locked out of hotels for over a day because the doors'
dependence on electric keys; many people could not buy basic
necessities because they usually used credit cards which no
longer worked due to the power outage; many of the elderly who
depend on electric to pump oxygen or to power other medical
necessities had to go to hospitals whose generators were,
mercifully, functional.
The danger, however, was and is far beyond a simple
inconvenience. All of America learned a lesson on September 11,
2001: the enemy can attack almost without warning. If nearly
three thousand lives were lost on that day, how many more could
have been lost during the Blackout had the Enemy chosen to
strike? The thought is not pleasant.
The Oscar-winning movie The Matrix offers a futuristic
view of what could happen should humans become too dependent on
technology. Perhaps it is most apparent when Morpheus tells Neo
how the machines took over Earth and instituted "a
neural-interactive simulation" that gives the movie its title
("Theory"). The thought that machines could overwhelm and
enslave the human race might be too "sci-fi" for some people to
believe but in the wake of Blackout we would do well not to be
so smug.
Technology has, in many ways, enhanced the quality of life for
humans. The good side should not overshadow the darker side,
however. The dangerous addiction Americans currently have to
technology might be our downfall so remember the Blackout and,
with proper supervision, learn how to light a match.
Works Cited
Quoteworld.org. QuoteWorld. 13 September 2003.
http://www.quoteworld.org/
Adler, Jerry. "The Day the Lights Went Out." Newsweek at
MSNBC.com. 13 September 2003.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/953580.asp
Theory of Knowledge: Philosophical Issues in The Matrix.
Princeton University. 13 September 2003.
http://www.princeton.edu/~jimpryor/courses/epist/notes/matrix.htm
l