Re: Google and the JFK Bomb Plot: The Censorship Circus

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "David P. Reed" <dpreed () reed com>
Date: June 5, 2007 12:46:27 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net, Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Cc: ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: Re: [IP] Google and the JFK Bomb Plot: The Censorship Circus

Lauren - I largely agree with your arguments.  But I think this is a  
more general problem related to "future shock" or the "fear of  
novelty" - is that a recognized diagnosis in DSM IV?

However, the persistence of such arguments (censorship shall make us  
safe, etc.) suggests that there is a natural logic wired into either  
our culture or our brains that suggests such arguments should be  
taken seriously.

What triggers such fear-based reasoning in one case, but not another?

For example, the gasoline stored in a typical gasoline station is a  
very effective terrorist target.   It is quite easy to blow up a gas  
station and the energy density of gasoline is quite high and easy to  
release.

Yet we don't have people obsessing with fear about gas stations and  
terrorists.

Once upon a time, we did.   When they were new, many people imagined  
disasters involving gas stations.  I have seen gas stations blow up.   
It's thoroughly impressive, but actually very rare.

And so the problem seems to me to be that the "new" always strikes  
fear into the hearts of those who find it unfamiliar and strange.    
Google's images are *new* and strangely fascinating, so even the  
slightest suggestion that they might be dangerous under some  
circumstances raises some people's blood pressure to the limit.

Consequently, rather than worrying about censorship - we ought to  
worry about how to calm people's reactions to novelty.



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