by havanagila » Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:49 pm
I had a bit of an argument with a neighboring blogger re the comosition of his academic center, for "technological forecasting". <br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.ictaf.tau.ac.il/staff.html">www.ictaf.tau.ac.il/staff.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br>the center has 11 academics, 2 of them females (one a social worker), all of them affiliated with miltiary, security and arms development; all of them are affilliated with American PTB institutions. <br>One of them is specifically an expert on "none lethal weapons" and "the soldier of the future" (nano-monkey ?), others - microbiologists with bio terror background and "medical defense" (whatever that means).<br>The institute is an example of the heavy involvement of the Israeli military in academia. the retired paramilitares get a nice fat academic position, and god knows what else they are doing there. This is the "sum total" of technological planning and forecasting in Israel (war).<br>I made my point that <br>1. such institutions cannot be totally overtaken by the military<br>2. there should be disclosure on ALL economic ties to the private sector (namely, where do these people hold shares, stock, and directors' positions, options, patents etc.).<br>3. the academic affiliations to US universities and centers, is troubling, at least if there were some more affiliations.<br>4. lack of any ethical input<br>5. not transparent<br>---<br>response was - that I am a paranoid and he is not willing to discuss his workplace in his private blog (he puts the link to the center in his bio/opening page). <br>--<br>The profile of the Center is the profile of Israeli elite/decision makers. certainly PP's according to vonegut's description. <p></p><i></i>
