The Technopoly of War and Military Intelligence
Technopolies are world views established by technology. To me, the most prevalent technopoly is the worldwide view on war and military technology. Through the years, countries have become what they are today due to how well their military is developed technologically. Technopolies in war have been evident throughout history. A few good examples in our history would be World War I and World War II, the Vietnam War, and now the War in Iraq.
Before World War I, there really wasn’t much more to war than guns and cannons. World War I brought new technology, especially in the way that soldiers engaged their enemies. This was the start of trench warfare and because of that, chemical warfare was developed. The chemical warfare created so much damage to the nervous system and was so cruel that it was essentially outlawed in warfare. Another result of this war was the creation of the League of Nations. This was a feeble attempt at creating an organization as powerful as the United Nations, and it was unsuccessful.
In World War II brought machine guns and tanks into the playing field and in turn the basic tactics of war were changed. Instead of charging enemy lines, they now had to use more explosives to overcome the tanks and machine guns. This war lasted so long and had many financial and physical effects on the countries involved. Germany was ridiculed so much for this war and had a ban placed on any type of military bigger than necessary for self-defense. The United Nations was also created to help keep world peace. Even today a good portion of the world belongs to the U.N.
The Vietnam War is definitely a good example of world views established by technology. The Vietnam War was very gruesome and had much opposition, especially through the American public. This was a very anti-war time in our history, and the war helped to make a stronger argument for those who opposed the war. Anti-war protests were held nationwide and even worldwide. One of the most famous anti-war protests was the Vietnamese monks, who opposed the war so much they tolerated burning to death.
Another great example of technology influencing world views is the current War on Iraq. This war has gained much scrutiny from a majority of the world. Our superior (but possibly faulty) military intelligence led officials to think that Iraq had possession of weapons of mass destruction, causing us to invade Iraq in search of them. Still years after our invasion, no weapons have been discovered and the U.S. has been criticized a countless number of times by many of the worlds more superior leaders.
War advancements and military technology are one of the more prevalent forms of technopolies in our world today. History has proved this time and time again in World War I and II, the Vietnam War, and the current War on Iraq.
