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Ever read the 'Unabomber Manifesto' ?

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Saw something on TV about Ted Kazynski today, and it reminded me about the manifesto he scared the FBI into publishing. I was pretty young when this happened, so I never thought alot about it. I looked it up today expecting to find the rantings and ravings of a total psycho, thought it'd be a funny read...but that's not the case at all. A pretty articulate and interesting philosophy actually... as far as I've gotten with it anyway, which is only halfway.

Worth your time?

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Industrial_Society_and_Its_Future
 

reflux

Turbo Monkey
Mar 18, 2002
4,617
2
G14 Classified
Thanks for the reminder.

Did you ever read the FBI report on the Columbine shooters? That one was quite disturbing. One of the kids, the report said, was a sheep. While he certainly had his demons, he simply followed orders. The other kid apparently, was an extremely disturbed kid (sociopath?) who had the potential to be another Unabomber or the like. Let me look into this to see if I can find the original article or report.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,555
kaczynski was a smart dude. IQ estimated at 165 according to one article i read. harvard math major, then michigan? for math grad school. played trombone in one of the same orchestras that i did. too bad he was COMPLETELY antisocial and all wacked out, and started mailing those bombs...
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
I've read snippets, but never the whole thing.....I shall do it tomorrow, on my employers time :biggrin:
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,024
Sleazattle
It was a dark and stormy night. A traveling salesmen is driving through the countryside and hears a report on the radio that a murderer has escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. At that moment he has a tire blow out. Without a cellphone or a flash light he fumbles in the rain trying to put on his spare tire. Right before he puts on the spare a flash of lightning silhouettes a dark figure wearing filthy pajamas sitting nearby in the woods. Surprised the salesman jumps back and accidentally kicks all the lug nuts losing them in a nearby culvert. Realizing the predicament the salesmen jumps into his car missing a wheel and locks the door and begins crying to himself. Moments later the man in the pajamas walks over and knocks on the window. The Salesman tries to ignore him but gives up hope and cracks the window. The man in the pajamas whispers to him that if he took one lug nut off of each of the other three wheels he could get his spare on. The salesman has as look of astonishment on his face as the man in the pajamas leans over again and tells him "I'm crazy, not ****ing stupid".
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Thanks for the reminder.

Did you ever read the FBI report on the Columbine shooters? That one was quite disturbing. One of the kids, the report said, was a sheep. While he certainly had his demons, he simply followed orders. The other kid apparently, was an extremely disturbed kid (sociopath?) who had the potential to be another Unabomber or the like. Let me look into this to see if I can find the original article or report.
I watched a special about that a few months back.

... what a couple of little douchebags.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29298
 

Ciaran

Fear my banana
Apr 5, 2004
9,839
15
So Cal
kaczynski was a smart dude. IQ estimated at 165 according to one article i read. harvard math major, then michigan? for math grad school. played trombone in one of the same orchestras that i did. too bad he was COMPLETELY antisocial and all wacked out, and started mailing those bombs...
Dr. Toshzynski? :think:
 

Samirol

Turbo Monkey
Jun 23, 2008
1,437
0
Anarcho-primitivism is really fascinating for me, his viewpoints are definitely...interesting.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
I mean really... I am impressed by this. The obvious retort would be that human nature tends toward progress, technology, etc. in general, and that an overthrow would simply reset the technological clock to let it all happen over and over again. But aside from that possibility, I really can't argue at all with the general principal that technology always creates more problems than it solves, or his lambasting of modern "leftists".
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,555
keep in mind that he was, well, crazy. although we like to lament about technology being the bane of modern existence, and imagery of human enslavement a la the matrix are appealing at some level, i still am very much convinced that modern technology has made the average life much more rewarding.

i would not like to go back to an era before computers. and, in medicine, it's abundantly clear that not having sterile, verifiable drugs would lead to many preventable deaths. you can harp all you want about cholesterol drugs and family practice docs not telling people to exercise enough, but when you're really sick the difference between medicine and surgery in 1850, 1900, 1950, 1975, and 2008 is tremendous.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
I've always had the issue of believing I was born a couple hundred years too late....even as I sit here typing away on my laptop. I think technology has literally ruined many of the things I like best about the world. Subjugating nature, marginalizing culture, obliterating anonymity. There a consistently serious blows dealt to what used to make the world interesting.
I agree that modern medicine is a luxury i wouldn't want to do without, so Im not saying Im on board with anarchy as a general political principle, but the essay points out some serious flaws in society that I agree wholeheartedly with.
 

JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
I've always had the issue of believing I was born a couple hundred years too late....even as I sit here typing away on my laptop. I think technology has literally ruined many of the things I like best about the world. Subjugating nature, marginalizing culture, obliterating anonymity. There a consistently serious blows dealt to what used to make the world interesting.
I agree that modern medicine is a luxury i wouldn't want to do without, so Im not saying Im on board with anarchy as a general political principle, but the essay points out some serious flaws in society that I agree wholeheartedly with.
Go figure, it takes the rantings of a lunatic to make me agree with Burly on something other than Da' Bears...
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Go figure, it takes the rantings of a lunatic to make me agree with Burly on something other than Da' Bears...
Maybe a lot of that is something I should've considered before, but Im not ashamed to admit when I learn something. The whole bit about "surrogate activities" replacing actual meaningful effort to improve ones life is so spot on... I dont even know what to say.
 

DaveW

Space Monkey
Jul 2, 2001
11,162
2,686
The bunker at parliament
I've always had the issue of believing I was born a couple hundred years too late....even as I sit here typing away on my laptop. I think technology has literally ruined many of the things I like best about the world. Subjugating nature, marginalizing culture, obliterating anonymity.
I disagree with the anonymity bit.
I feel that the internet age has created vast amounts of anonymity..... Take your log on name for example.
Who are you? *shrugs*
No idea you and quite possibly your real personality I wouldn't have a clue about, you are masked behind your electronic persona that's glowing there on a screen in front of me.
Yet here we are conversing, and a couple of hundred years ago you WOULD NOT have been able to converse without losing that anonymity, horizons (so to speak) were much much closer, almost everything was done face to face village styles.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
I disagree with the anonymity bit.
I feel that the internet age has created vast amounts of anonymity..... Take your log on name for example.
Who are you? *shrugs*
No idea you and quite possibly your real personality I wouldn't have a clue about, you are masked behind your electronic persona that's glowing there on a screen in front of me.
Yet here we are conversing, and a couple of hundred years ago you WOULD NOT have been able to converse without losing that anonymity, horizons (so to speak) were much much closer, almost everything was done face to face village styles.
I guess in one sense you gain some anonymity, but only on a trivial level... like message boards, chat rooms, blogs, etc. But you're only anonymous to the average joe even in that capacity...because by your IP address governmental orgs can figure out everything about you. In daily life, anonymity is a thing of the past. You can barely get through life without using credit to fund major purchases, which gives anyone who wants to look a detailed account of your past. You give a ton of your info to the government just for the right to drive a car, go fishing, apply for a permit to build anything. Likewise any time you need a service or utility (the internet?) for your home, you can't just deal in cash. You give your name to some company, they do a credit check and take all kinds of info from you. Healthcare, insurance, banking, etc.. the list goes on and on. No man is an island anymore because everything's so co-dependent. And you can't realistically be a part of it unless you're willing to submit a ton of information about yourself to a multitude organizations.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Unabomber 2: Tennessee Terror


(Don't you have a Polish last name?)
He's actually from a Polish Chicago suburb just like me :biggrin:


I don't have a Polish last name as they changed it when they came over, but if they hadn't Id be a Niebeczinski. My mom's side is Zilkwoski.
 
keep in mind that he was, well, crazy. although we like to lament about technology being the bane of modern existence, and imagery of human enslavement a la the matrix are appealing at some level, i still am very much convinced that modern technology has made the average life much more rewarding.

i would not like to go back to an era before computers. and, in medicine, it's abundantly clear that not having sterile, verifiable drugs would lead to many preventable deaths. you can harp all you want about cholesterol drugs and family practice docs not telling people to exercise enough, but when you're really sick the difference between medicine and surgery in 1850, 1900, 1950, 1975, and 2008 is tremendous.
However, we have quite enough people and it's not necessarily clear what we're achieving by preventing these deaths or by prolonging life unreasonably.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,555
However, we have quite enough people and it's not necessarily clear what we're achieving by preventing these deaths or by prolonging life unreasonably.
we're not making old people live until they're 120. only japanese people are cool enough for that. instead we're making it so that old people who fall and crack their hip have less of a chance from dying of pneumonia in the hospital.

it's easy to decry health care when one is healthy oneself.
 

wyrd

Chimp
Jul 28, 2008
6
0
It would be interesting to see how the unibomber manifesto stacks up against the communist manifesto and the protocols of zion. My guess is you're looking at the same thing. The former two are based on the latter and both take something worthy like looking after the common man or saving the environment and use it as a recruiting tool in western nations to get the masses to kill their own leadership in a hysteria of moral superiority, to conquer a country basically, as happened in the English civil war, The french revolution, the russian revolution and almost in the spanish revolution. The Unabomber and the protagonists of all those previous 'revolutions' and manifestos all have something in common, they belong to the same ethnic minority immigrant group and were hell bent on subverting, disrupting, destroying and conquering their host country. Thank you. Blowing random people's hands off isn't cool, it's demented and cowardly.
 
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Samirol

Turbo Monkey
Jun 23, 2008
1,437
0
it Would Be Interesting To See How The Unibomber Manifesto Stacks Up Against The Communist Manifesto And The Protocols Of Zion. My Guess Is You're Looking At The Same Thing. The Former Two Are Based On The Latter And Both Take Something Worthy Like Looking After The Common Man Or Saving The Environment And Use It As A Recruiting Tool In Western Nations To Get The Masses To Kill Their Own Leadership In A Hysteria Of Moral Superiority, To Conquer A Country Basically, As Happened In The english Civil War, The french Revolution, The russian Revolution And Almost In The Spanish Revolution. The unabomber And The Protagonists Of All Those Previous 'revolutions' And Manifestos All Have Something In Common, They Belong To The Same Ethnic Minority Immigrant Group And Were Hell Bent On Subverting, Disrupting, Destroying And Conquering Their Host Country. Thank You.
hating on the Jews is SO early 20th century
 
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JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
Hate to rain on your parade but I ain't your brethren and you ain't welcome in my country.
Whats it like in your country? Is everyone else a closed minded, bigoted dipsh*t?

Try reading objectively, douchenozzle. Disregard the fact that Kacynski (sp?) was a lunatic...
 

maml

Chimp
May 19, 2003
20
0
Some day that may be a respected document amongst scholars. Definintely didnt come off as the rantings of a madman...
Um, not so much in my opinion. Unorganized ramblings of a disturbed individual who manages to inject a little reality into his paranoid fictions.

Eh, I guess if the Book of Revelations is studied by serious scholars, the unabomber manifesto might as well be.