is DARPA evil?

[valis]

They gave us the internet, no? But they are working on many things that can be potentially evil... I'm ambivalent...

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. No, I wouldn't say their evil.

It's the people that seek to employ the inventions DARPA creates that are evil. AKA The Republicans/Halliburton/Carlisle Group

[redqueen]

2. Ever since the impartial scientists were kicked off the board, yes.

IMO, they are.

[valis]

4. Were they? I know they fund less and less basic science

and more immediately applied shit...

[redqueen]

6. Yes they were.

Heard about it for the first time on NPR back in '02, I think. Frickin' bush... grumblegrumblegrubmle. :grr:

[Burma Jones]

3. DARPA doesn't use the tools, they just make them

On the other hand, their researchers do know they work for DOD. On the other hand, they pump a lot of money into Colleges and Universities. So, I guess I am also ambivalent

[valis]

5. Apparently they pump less and less money into Colleges

And more and more into corporations who can just do the work without any ethical constraints... They'll pay for this... No doubt... You need academics involved, and grad students...

[Burma Jones]

7. It's still plenty

Although I agree with you about the shift from schools to corporations.

The day is coming though when the pendulum swings.......

[sjr5740]

8. DARPA funded my Ph.D.

Alot of it was based on biodefense and biowarfare monitoring presumably for defense from nonexistant WMDs from Iraq. This is now the same technology being used in medical monitoring and water and air safety monitoring, so like anything I wouldn't say DARPA is inherently evil its how the technology is applied that makes it evil.

However the initiatives like TIA are thought up by evil crackpots.

SJR