Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA04527 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 24 Sep 2001 12:03:34 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3102A6D020@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: state of memes Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 11:36:13 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain X-Filter-Info: UoS MailScan 0.1 [D 1] Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Jeff,
Welcome to the list.
<what do people think of the wider prospects for this
> sort of period of punctuated evolution, and what
> directions things might head (i tend to think world
> peace/one-world government, persuasion/force, etc.)?>
>
>
I think you're right to some extent that there have already been in
the last couple of weeks major reorganisation of how some terms are used,
interpreted and dealt with, not least terrorism. Whether that leads to a
different global social structure, who can really say. I can't say if it
happened I'd personally enjoy it very much. The biggest problem with recent
events seems to be the fact that conventional methods of dealing with
violent attacks on a state don't really apply here, and the security
measures that are being considered (as Lawrence suggested) aren't really
going to do much to stop people who want to try and commit terrorist acts.
In the UK, we've had years and years of increasingly draconian
anti-terrorism legislation, none of which prevented terrorism continuing (it
may have reduced the chances of it happening, I don't know). Now there's
talk of basically extending UK style laws across the EU, of introducing ID
cards in the UK and so on. I personally don't see the value in restricting
civil liberties in order to protect against a threat one can't protect
against absolutely.
Anyway, that the world is a very different place now, is very true.
I think we will see that US memes are altered by these events, in the way
that say the Vietnam defeat altered the US population's sense of self. Will
the US react as other states subjected to terrorism have done or in
different ways, due to the nature of the US, the scale of the attacks and so
on? Time will tell.
Vincent
-- The University of Stirling is a university established in Scotland by charter at Stirling, FK9 4LA. Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person), you may not disclose, copy or deliver this message to anyone and any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender by reply email. Please advise immediately if you or your employer do not consent to Internet email for messages of this kind. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of the University of Stirling shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it.=============================================================== This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing) see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Sep 24 2001 - 12:30:43 BST