The Modern ‘Luddite’

Luddite destroys/ resists technology that threatens livlihood, and way of life/ craft? I don't think a Luddite has much chance against sanctioned, organized efforts. There are intersections and nuances that make Luddism seem like Workerism and other positions. Call it slave mentality where one takes on an identity adverse to some ruling doctrine, but becomes an object that is valuable to it. Like how a criminal who is against police or unjust law/ policy becomes an object that reinforces its power. Workerist argues against the manager and the owner etc. but in doing so reduces self to something inherently valuable to them. I am not a luddite or a workerist I am just a person who knows it costs very little to live, and see that there is no organized sanctioned effort to let people live basic, happy, minimalist existences. Work and technology doesn't need to be abolished but every nuance of slavery does.

AI comes to mind first. It's a new and potentially dire threat, depending on who deploys it for what purposes and whether or not it has big OFF switches. One problem with AI is that it seems to be distributed over a lot of servers -- a world of server farms. How does one bust up 100 server farms? (well, maybe a big electro magnetic pulse would do it, but one needs a nuclear weapon to create a really big EMP,. That may be tried at some point, but it won't be a Luddite project.

One could just go after the ruling and wealth owning class who are likely to own and use AI. The problem with that is there are a lot of them. Rounding them up would be a pain.

One could smash the machines -- assembly plants, refineries, computers, telecommunications, etc. That stuff is sitting out in plain sight. A future act or war which any number of nations could manage is cutting undersea cables which tie the system together.

Workers of the world could unite and withhold their labor until the present system collapses. The tricky part (after getting a couple billion people to go out on strike at the same time) is building a society fit for human beings.

Extinction Rebellion.

Only the devil wants to make work; luddites want to make a living. they have the reputation of being against progress, but they were against starving in the street because the price of the cloth they produced had collapsed.

Reply to unenlightened :up:

Quoting I like sushi

What exactly would a modern ‘Luddite’ aim to destroy?

Quoting BC

One could smash the machines -- assembly plants, refineries, computers, telecommunications, etc. That stuff is sitting out in plain sight.

In 1965, Frank Herbert called it "The Butlerian Jihad".

Quoting I like sushi

What exactly would a modern ‘Luddite’ aim to destroy?

They typically look for the greatest source of knowledge and progress so as to assure themselves a meaningful future where they can still compete.

Yes, you've probably figured it out. I'm referring to the very Shoutbox itself.

Quoting BC

AI comes to mind first. It's a new and potentially dire threat, depending on who deploys it for what purposes and whether or not it has big OFF switches.

I think you are on to something. Especially with AI you could have a really fanatic movement against it that would try to break in to corporation buildings to destroy the computers behind the AI. Hence a lot of destroying of normal computers just stacked in large warehouses that form our cloud computing platforms.

The idea that they are defending humanity from the real 'Skynet'. Yeah, some people could fall for it.



Yet it seems that this kind of movement would more of a media hype issue than a real important movement with long term support. The actual Luddite activity lasted less than a decade and the real important movement was the workers movement, trade unions etc.

Quoting I like sushi

What exactly would a modern ‘Luddite’ aim to destroy?

Cell phones.

Quoting ssu

The actual Luddite activity lasted less than a decade and the real important movement was the workers movement, trade unions etc.

They had the same concerns though didn’t they?

Quoting I like sushi

They had the same concerns though didn’t they?

Far more was it about money and old rights, I guess. Then there was more of the backdrop of the guild-system (that was being abolished) and the modern capitalist system was just becoming of age.

This is part of a declaration made by the Frameworck Knitters in 1st of January 1812:

Whereas by the Charter, granted by our late Sovereign Lord Charles the Seacond by the Grace of God of Great Brittain France and Ireland the Frame Worck Knitters are Impowre’d to breake and Distroy all Frames or Engines that fabricate Articles in a fraudilent and Deceitfull manner and to distroy all Frameworck Knitters Goods Whatsoever that are so made—And Whereas a number of Deceitfull Unprinciped and Interguing Persons did Attain An Act to be passed in the twenty Eight Year of our preasent Sovereign Lord George the third Whereby it was enacted that Persons, Entring by Force into any house Shop or Place to Brake or Distroy frames should be Adjudged Guilty of Feloney, and as we are fully Convinced that such Act was Obtain’d in the most Fraudilent Manner Interesting and Electionering manner and that the Honourable Parliment of Great Brittain was deceived the Motives and Intentions of the Persons Obtained such Act we therefore the frame worck knitters do hereby declare the aforesaid Act to be null and void to all Intents and Purposses, Whatsoever as by the passing of this Act Vilinous and Impassing persons Are Enable to make Fraudilent and Deceitfull Manifactory’s to the discreadit and utter ruin of Our Trade.

These people were seen as Luddites. Is it the same thing now? You be the judge.

I have actually known a modern Luddite. I knew him when he was virtually penniless and watched him become a billionaire, with a cabin on the seacoast having no electricity for his getaway. He would do away with dams and hydroelectric power in order to save the fish that lived in the rivers. He has been a staunch supporter of wild rivers.

He doesn't use a computer, but his employees do, keeping up with a business that is worldwide. However, recently he stepped away from the corporation he established and set up a foundation. He is a year or two younger than me and during the 1990s was on a panel consulting with Bill Clinton. His success story is the American dream come true. I wish him well - but he would take down dams if he could.

Reply to jgill So you think a modern Luddite (mor form of one) is one that attempts to recuperate nature? In what ways may this return jobs to people? I get that taking down dams can serve ‘nature’ but how will that replenish the workforce?

Reply to I like sushi I have only provided an example of someone who considers themselves to be a "Luddite" and refrains from using some aspects of modern technology. I infer nothing more than that. This individual has created thousands of jobs over the years.

But there are dammed rivers he would return to the wild if he could.