010100100010 The Future of Municipal Government

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher Social change is on the horizon. By now we all have heard of Artificial Intelligence. Intelligence... a word that is wrongfully used to describe the next generation of internet browsing and interfacing. It is deemed intelligent as the data processing surpassed any human capability. A capability that appears to understand and developed based on compilation of information in to rational thought. Visionaries like George Orwell read the writing on the evolutionary wall and gave us a glimpse at the future in his book 1984, back in 1949. Orwell did not get the year right. But he sure was bang on the money when it came to the social/governmental and changes to the human element when he introduced us to ‘BIG BROTHER.’ Big Brother is a character and symbol in George Orwell's dystopian 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. He is ostensibly the leader of Oceania, a totalitarian state wherein the ruling party, Ingsoc, wields total power "for its own sake" over the inhabitants. In the society that Orwell describes, every citizen is under constant surveillance by the authorities, mainly by telescreens (with the exception of the Proles). According to the introduction of AI. Big Brother is here and quickly developing. Orwell was not alone in his futuristic visions. Many today are deeming this time in history as the ‘Age of Aquarius’. Wikipedia: suggesting that the rise of scientific rationalism, combined with the fall of religious influence, the increasing focus on human rights since the 1780s, the exponential growth of technology, plus the advent of flight and space travel, are evidence of the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. This compounded with the never ending social uprise and unrest. Or the brewing racial battles and civic defiance. The world is in need of new law and order. With the constant expose of political corruption. Government across the board in-fighting. Wars, conflict and never ending discrepancies based on religion, culture, economics. The talk about globalism. The failure of the church and state. If we are not in the ‘Age of Aquarius’. We are surely, heading down a very dangerous slide toward extinction. Allow me to explain. As it is. For example. Municipal government operates as such: Citizens comes up with an issue to be considered. Information is sent to staff. Staff spend time reviewing, assessing and making recommendation to council. Council then discusses it, debates it and finally vote. Many times the vote count leads to poor or bad decisions. Decisions not based on logic or reason but in personal opinion, bias, prejudice and lack of intellectual integrity. Vis- a vie - Taxes keep going up to pay off for bad decisions. With this so called ‘Artificial Intelligence’. Computers operate on a simple logic. Yes or No. 101. The outcome is based on raw data collected from infinite sources. No real thinking is use. Much like staff. Gather info and assess it based on mathematical statistics. Predicting the best out come from the source of information available. The big difference the computer can do it in a fraction of a second and staff take weeks if not months. Then from an economic perspective. Get rid of staff and replace it with a computer filled with the particular departmental expertise. Easy. NO? We can get more accurate results and much quicker responses, at almost no cost. That info that is given to council. Then council would have to vote on it using the usual bias, prejudices and understanding on a particular. Why not get rid of council. After all, most elected do not have the expertise to make the decision they are faced to make. Get a computer that utilizes data to statistically make a decision based on logic, reason and economic principles. Imaging the millions we would save. Now let’s apply the same to the Regional, Provincial and Federal government. We hear about globalism. About one world government. The introduction of AI to society. This type of thinking maybe is not to far off. Think about it. The computer would dispense law according to country, region. The computer would utilize distribution of wealth and access to industry and trade based on in-put. In-put that would only have rational and logical resolve to any issue before it. No bias, no prejudice, no opinion. NO CORRUPTION. Much like Orwell’s world. Big Brother would dispense what is best for society without emotion, greed and or external influences. So what are you saying Joe? What I am saying is welcome to the Age of Aquarius. Under such model. We all be considered equal. Our social rank would be determined by our intellectual accomplishment through academia. Religion would become abselete as would poverty, homelessness and suffering. Big Brother would assure every human being the basic human right to live free of worry. The need for human survival would be replaced with the need to excel academically. Civilization would evolve to one of high tech efficiency as never seen before. Orwell was right back then. Do you think I may be onto something?