The prediction, in brief:

Current trends in communications are leading toward a head-on collision between global networking and national governmental authority. At the moment a “twilight of sovereignty” scenario looks plausible and the situation definitely does not favor governments. Given current political instability worldwide, it’s going to be a lot easier to make governments look like computer networks than it is to make the computer revolution the handmaiden of traditional governments. I make no judgment as to whether this is good or bad. After the revolution things will be different – not better, just different

Predictor: Sterling, Bruce

Prediction, in context:

A 1995 e-mail interview with science fiction writer and cyberspace commentator Bruce Sterling for Telecommunications International included the following exchange:TI: “What trends do you see in the communications industry?”Sterling: “Current trends in communications are leading toward a head-on collision between global networking and national governmental authority. At the moment a ‘twilight of sovereignty’ scenario looks plausible and the situation definitely does not favor governments. Given current political instability worldwide, it’s going to be a lot easier to make governments look like computer networks than it is to make the computer revolution the handmaiden of traditional governments. I make no judgment as to whether this is good or bad. After the revolution things will be different – not better, just different.”

Biography:

Bruce Sterling, a writer, consultant and science fiction enthusiast, wrote or co-wrote “Schismatrix,” “The Hacker Crackdown” and “The Difference Engine” and edited “Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology.” In the 1990s, he wrote tech articles for Fortune, Harper’s, Details, Whole Earth Review and Wired, where he was a contributing writer from its founding. He published the nonfiction book “Tomorrow Now: Envisioning the Next Fifty Years” in 2002. (Author/Editor/Journalist.)

Date of prediction: September 1, 1995

Topic of prediction: Global Relationships/Politics

Subtopic: Government

Name of publication: Telecommunications International

Title, headline, chapter name: Dropping Anchor in Cyberspace

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Vol. 29, Issue 9, Page 115ISSN: 00402494

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Uhlfelder, Evelyn C.