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John Vasconcellos to Heather.Barbour  re David Boulton's Ethics
John responding in all CAPS

From: Heather.Barbour

John -

I finally got a chance to look at this proposal and the conversation thread

spurred by it. At first glance, I am most compelled by David Boulton's

critique.

OF COURSE.

Although I appreciate the security issues under debate, and the

Callixa software sounds pretty good in that it seems to address civil rights

and civil liberities issues as we Americans generally understand them, the

larger question David raises -- at what price profit? -- is of increasing

concern to me.

FAIR ENOUGH.

It seems to me we need to have an extended conversation about America's

economic role in the world and our own values vis-a-vis economics,

specifically as these things relate to technology products. Even if we could

assure ourselves that Callixa's technology would be used in accordance with

our American civil rights values here at home - how might China use it? What

is our responsibility to other peoples and cultures?

We need to have an extended exploration of the ethics of emerging

technologies and the global business climate.

SO WHO & HOW & WHEN & WHERE MIGHT WE INITIATE SUCH AN EXPLORATION?

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