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According to the tabloid press, Teddy couldn't cut the mustard with the babes at Harvard, picked a dying field of mathematics in which to specialize, couldn't stomach the problems of industrial society, blamed technology for all his own and society's problems and finally dropped out of the mainstream in desperation, hiding in the hills of Montana. Now, none of this is particularly special and certainly is neither stupid nor evil. Hell, I know personally many people who share one or another of T.K.'s idiosyncrasies, including most prominently myself. What is stupid and evil is making bombs to kill and maim strangers with whom you do not agree.

Earlier in the year, the New York Times and the Washington Post printed a lengthy document laying out the details of the Unabomber's "principles." The F.B.I. had urged this step in order to raise the possibility that someone might recognize the author of the essay. This turned out to be a spectacularly effective tactic, since Mr. Kaczynski was snitched off by his own brother on the basis of similarity between the Unabomber prose and letters he had previously sent to his brother. Furthermore, it appears that one of the main items of evidence against Mr. Kaczynski is the actual typewriter which was used to type the original paper. Bravo, F.B.I.!

On the other hand, follow-up stories in newspapers and magazines included copious analysis of the Unabomber "philosophy," often comparing it to the musings of historical figures, the writings of current protest groups (like the radical environmentalists) and qualifying the commentary only by labeling Mr. Kaczynski an extremist.

Extremist? I'll say! Even a perfunctory reading of his world view and remedies to cure the ills of the modern industrial state reveal a "plan," which, if adopted, would result in the premature deaths of perhaps 95% of the population of the entire world along with the total collapse of civilization. Yes, I would have to agree that this is extreme.

But is it a"philosophy" or a set of "principles?" Not a chance! It is quite easy to speak or write casually about the problems engendered by industrialization. A glib first response to these difficulties is to suggest we could do with less technology. O.K., I can buy that, at least as an approach. However, any reasonable person contemplating the removal or banning of any technology developed since the beginning of the industrial revolution has to take into account ALL the effects of such actions, not just how it might make it easier to live in a shack in Montana without electricity or running water.

Even if Kaczynski were not the murderous, mad bomber he has been made out to be, his thoughts, far from being on a "genius" level, are the stupid, thoughtless, irrational ravings of demented adolescent. The fact that he is over fifty years old makes it even worse. Let me explain.

If we date the beginning of the industrial revolution to the beginning of the nineteenth century, then a list of technological innovations since then must include, among other things, the typewriter on which Mr. Kaczynski typed his famous essay, the chemicals he used to make his bombs (which he bought off the shelf), the transportation system that delivered his bombs to his victims, the canned foods he ate, etc., etc. Take these things away from Teddy Boy and...voila...he could no longer BE the Unabomber, even should he choose. He probably couldn't even take care of himself in his fabled shack, because, like most of us, he has no training in the real skills necessary to survive in a frontier location without technology.

Removal of the transportation and communication systems which he credits for all the evil in the modern world would also, incidentally, make our cities totally unlivable. Our agricultural system would collapse. The world probably contained about 250 million people in 1800. Experience suggests that this is about as many people as COULD HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED by the technology of that time. There are now about 6 BILLION people in the world. What would happen to the 5,750,000,000 people who could not eat and could not find a place to sleep for surely the Theodore Kaczynski's of the world would not let them encroach on their cherished "wilderness" retreats? The answer is quite simple. They would die. They would die quickly, perhaps killing each other in the process over the remaining scraps of food. What they WOULD not and COULD not do is all move to Montana to live in harmony with nature.

Talk to you later...

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