Mind War Games

I've been on vacation and haven't blogged since returning. But here we go again.

On several news broadcasts today the U.S. military announced that, in association with Carnagie Melon University, they're developing some sort of 'mind-reading gadget' that will help with soldiers who experience PTSD. This is based on ongoing neurological research, which with wave patterns, neurochemical reactions, and so forth looks like a field that will finally get there. Until now it's just been the stuff of sci fi and farfetched movie scripts.

Critics have been quick to point out that such an invention could be used for interrogation and torture.

While the research continues and debate rages, I wonder if we should even be 'inventing' it at all. For all our knowledge there is precious little we know about how the brain functions, and when you combine it with emotion and spirit, each of which we understand even less, the potential for honest misuse and calculated abuse are frightening. We need to understand galaxies more about how we operate before probing where we don't know the parameters and permutations.

It's like the invention of the nuclear bomb. Sure, we figured out how to do it, but once we did we couldn't unlearn it and the existence of them in the world is one of the most frightening things humankind has accomplished. Many would argue that the bomb keeps us from destroying each other, yet I would assert that it introduces a tension unknown before in history, the possibility at any moment that all life on the planet could be wiped out in a half hour, and it hasn't stopped people from fighting and killing each other. It has done nothing toward peace, and in fact has taken us irrevocably in the other direction.

The potential for abuse by a mind-reading device is too horrible. What constructive use would there be? To cure soldiers of PTSD? Why don't we try ending war first and see what that does? To keep husbands and wives honest? Now that would destroy civilization. To screen potential employees? Hm. Ever see Liar, Liar? The entire population, made up of fallible humans who are so conditioned to live in illusion by the system that's inventing a mind-reading machine, will go unemployed. And can you imagine how the business industry would use it for marketing, spying, destroying the competition, and so forth? And what about religion? Ooh. Yuck. You think religious fundamentalism is a problem now?

For that matter, if military brass and politicos are so fond of the creation of this monster why don't we subject them to it first?

A mind reading device isn't needed. We first need to figure out how to live the Golden Rule consistently. Then the device won't be needed.