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5
5
Sounds Promising Sounds Creepy
Debate Score:10
Arguments:10
Total Votes:12
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 Sounds Promising (5)
 
 Sounds Creepy (5)

Debate Creator

atypican(4875) pic



Could thought policing technology be OK?

If it was discovered that certain distinct brain waves were emitted by those who intended to bring harm on others and hypersensitive devices were developed to detect them and alert the rest of us. Would you support installing these devices in public places? would you install one in your home?

Sounds Promising

Side Score: 5
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Sounds Creepy

Side Score: 5
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1 point

My words are my own, and I would defend with violence my right to speak my mind. But for one to attempt to prevent me from thinking my mind! That shall be the day of revolution! My thoughts are not simply my own, but my thoughts are myself, and are of greater value than any material possession. If my thoughts are violent or racist or perverted, so be it; my thoughts alone do not harm others.

Side: Sounds Creepy
atypican(4875) Disputed
1 point

But suppose that the technology wasn't used to prevent the thinking but give insight of possible threats. What would your objection be if the technology was non invasive and it's implementation was fully transparent, meaning anyone who wanted to look at the data could?

Side: Sounds Promising
atypican(4875) Disputed
1 point

I would defend with violence my right to speak my mind.

Violence does not defend rights, by definition it violates them.

Side: Sounds Promising

We would scan the premise. Are these brain waves distinct from waves indicating frustration or anger? Are they associated specifically with intent and not desire?

Side: Sounds Creepy
atypican(4875) Disputed
1 point

Just playing with the idea here but let's say that a continuous log was kept of the brain waves of violent criminals who were incarcerated, and a threshold was determined that showed a direct correlation between the passing of that threshold, and actual violent outbursts. The data I am imagining shows clearly that no violent outbursts occur without surpassing this threshold level. If field tested and shown to be effective in a prison environment what logical objection can be made to implementing such a technology outside what is normally thought of as a prison environment?

Side: Sounds Promising
1 point

ok for anyone to be on the side of thought policing has to have some nazi or communist tendencies this is the dream tool for any dictatorship ill tell you right now it would start out as oh this is wonderfull no more crime bAD THOughts whatever.unfortunaltely it would turn into after a while because we are human a horrible device where you couldnt even think independently all civil rights would be non existant. its amazing how people will hand over freedom for security i.e germany 1930

Side: Sounds Creepy
atypican(4875) Disputed
1 point

anyone......on the side of thought policing has to have some nazi or communist tendencies

I used the term "thought policing" specifically to be provocative. I think throwing the term "Nazi" around is only done by people who have the specific tendency of trying to hastily categorize people so their individuality can be ignored. Anyone who willingly shares things with others has communist tendencies.

this is the dream tool for any dictatorship

So what do you think can be done to prevent such technology from getting into the hands of dictators? If the technology is developed in private it's practically guaranteed to.

ill tell you right now it would start out as oh this is wonderfull no more crime bAD THOughts whatever.unfortunaltely it would turn into after a while because we are human a horrible device where you couldnt even think independently all civil rights would be non existant.

With a nod to the sorry state that "independent thought" and "civil rights" are already in, I think you'd have a hard time giving an example of any invention that couldn't be misused. If human nature is as universally corrupt as you seem to think it is, were screwed anyway so....for the sake of argument, would you think that ANY technology or devices that are fashioned for the purpose of preventing secrecy in the public arena should be outlawed? If not where do you draw the line to determine whats acceptable and whats not?

Side: Sounds Promising

"Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under." -H. L. Mencken

The excuse to give the government more power is really is unacceptable. Government only seeks for power by men who are obsessed and insatiable desire for power.

Side: Sounds Creepy
atypican(4875) Disputed
1 point

"Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under." -H. L. Mencken

So if I am ashamed to be associated with a specific government, I may think that the use of technology like I am supposing might bring about reform within it so it might be more tolerable.

The excuse to give the government more power is really is unacceptable.

What if the devices were entirely legal for anyone to use in a public setting and they weren't specifically introduced by the government but citizens independently implemented them where they thought appropriate. Would you be against a government ban on the devices?

Government only seeks for power by men who are obsessed and insatiable desire for power.

For our sorry state of affairs, I think the defeatist attitude, is more to blame than any lust for power.

"Slavery causes tyranny" ~atypican

“Still this planet's soil for noble deeds grants scope abounding.” ~Goethe

Side: Sounds Promising
0 points

ok for anyone to be on the side of thought policing has to have some nazi or communist tendencies this is the dream tool for any dictatorship ill tell you right now it would start out as oh this is wonderfull no more crime bAD THOughts whatever.unfortunaltely it would turn into after a while because we are human a horrible device where you couldnt even think independently all civil rights would be non existant. its amazing how people will hand over freedom for security i.e germany 1930

Side: Sounds Creepy