Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Does war make us better communicators in a weird way?


            Governments for hundreds of years now have sponsored advancements in modern communications technology, memorably with the advent of submarine cables to aid communications between colonizers and the colonized. Wars, namely, have spurred such growth in the communications sector; increased methods of precise coordination are necessary both to monitor one’s enemy and also to guide one’s own military. This begs the question: are wars necessary for advancements in technology, particular for communication?
            It would seem so: the launch of the Russian space satellite Sputnik in 1957 spurred an influx of government spending in science and math programs across the United States in a (successful) effort to catch up. This spaceship, which brought about the fear of Russian capability to send a ballistic missile from space to any point within the United States (Hanson) allowed for technological advances leading to President Kennedy’s sponsorship of a global satellite system. What do we get from this? TV, for one. What was originally a government endeavor has now been increased communication ability for even the poorest in the world.
            What’s more, everyday people use computers (originally used for military calculations) and the Internet (originally used to transfer governmental data that could withstand a nuclear attack). Both the Internet and TV have contributed to a more global economy and, even with just advertising in mind, have increased the amount of participation of the bourgeoisie in what was once restricted to governmental affairs. The following website has an interesting debate on whether or not wars are the mother of invention or if invention is the mother of war:

            

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