Technological progress and war have long gone hand in hand. Unlike
all other animals, human beings don’t triumph based on who has more
physical strength. We triumph based on who holds more technological
power.
Which is why for centuries it is
military spending that has promoted technological growth.
Governments funded scientists to find new ways to get an advantage
on potential enemies. Nuclear weapons might have caused incredible
damage, but the drive to develop them led to revolutionary
scientific discoveries, nuclear energy, and the prevalence of
unbelievable technology.
But since the end of World War 2, the world has changed. For
the first time in history,
peace has been the status quo. This can in a large part be
attributed to the devastation that can be wrought by nuclear
weapons. The cost of war is now potentially wiping out humanity.
While it would make sense for technological development to
slow down, the opposite has happened. Peace has actually driven
technological progress. Here is how.
A positive feedback loop
An era of
peace has brought about a revolution in how the world works. Whereas
it was once profitable to go to war, the opposite is now true. War
costs not just lives and money, but important trade partnerships. It
brings havoc to economies.
Furthermore, there’s rarely profit at the end of it.
Resources that bring wealth to nations are no longer physical.
California’s riches once came from gold. Now its riches are in the
minds of engineers and app developers. An invasion would not bring
that wealth to another country.
An unprecedented era of peace has made this possible. It has
made it possible to build a global community, in which information
and technology is shared. One nation’s success is in another
nation’s best interests.
And because of this, peace has become our most important
commodity. The threat of war is a lot more dire than it was in past
generations.
Military focus on technology has therefore not slowed down.
It has become all important to maintain peace, and with the stakes
of nuclear weaponry so high, new technology has to account for that
threat.
It also has to account for the aftermath of the worst case
scenario, and find measures that would lessen the devastation of it.
So, while we are in an era of unprecedented peace, military
spending is still bringing us ever better technology. Technology
which is readily available.
We’re all survivalists
Survivalists
prepare for the worst. They know that nuclear war can destroy
everything we know in an instant. They live off self-sustaining
farms, have stockpiles of tools and weapons necessary to survive,
and have learnt basic survival skills.
But in a sense we are all survivalists now. While we may be a
bit too connected to our conveniences for our own good, we have
access to what we need long before push comes to shove. You can
stock up on
protective gear, technology that detects chemical agents, and
weaponry. All of which may ultimately be essential for keeping the
peace. Our own preparation for the worst case scenario ensures that
defense technology never stops developing.
Peace has never been so available, and neither has
technology. Whereas mere decades ago only major corporations or
governments had computers, everyone now has access to the newest
technology. It’s no coincidence that the two have come together.
The military is as important as it ever was, and as long as
peace is the status quo, technology will continue improving at an
exponential pace.
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