I just now found the story, but after having read it, I must offer kudos.
I loved the recognition of the cyclic nature of rising and falling governments, and the points of continuity provided - for example, the belief by the serfs that Deep Mind had cameras watching them everywhere, to be subsequently replaced by the warlords convincing them that gods were watching them everywhere. the commonalities there are what people can be made to believe, in this case being made to believe that they were constantly under surveillance, regardless of who or what was surveilling. it's not the surveillance that counts so much as the BELIEF that surveillance is being perpetrated.
I presume the narrator of the story either was already, or on his way to becoming, a Sea King. There's precedent for that in history as well...
All in all, a very good tale, and so far as I can see and think through, very accurate!
I loved the recognition of the cyclic nature of rising and falling governments, and the points of continuity provided - for example, the belief by the serfs that Deep Mind had cameras watching them everywhere, to be subsequently replaced by the warlords convincing them that gods were watching them everywhere. the commonalities there are what people can be made to believe, in this case being made to believe that they were constantly under surveillance, regardless of who or what was surveilling. it's not the surveillance that counts so much as the BELIEF that surveillance is being perpetrated.
I presume the narrator of the story either was already, or on his way to becoming, a Sea King. There's precedent for that in history as well...
All in all, a very good tale, and so far as I can see and think through, very accurate!
Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king.
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’