Trits

[jya@pipeline.com (John Young)]

   As a complement to Jim Choate's forward on the "trits" 
   communication research, we suggest perusing an interview of 
   the philosopher Paul Virilio. Here're are excerpts from the 
   interview available at: 
 
      http://pwp.usa.pipeline.com/~jya/silence.txt 
 
 
   PAUL VIRILIO: I have to take a detour through physics here, 
   and this is one of the differences between and Baudrillard 
   and myself. Unlike him, I have a formal scientific 
   education (that's why physics and military sciences kept me 
   busy for a very long time). In the past, reality was a 
   matter of mass; then it became mass + force. Today, reality 
   is the outcome of: mass + force + information. Matter has 
   now become truly three-dimensional. This is a clear break. 
   What we have witnessed in Italy, with Berlusconi seizing 
   power, is the first successful media-coup in history. Italy 
   is again Europe's avant-garde, and is showing us where the 
   new political alternative resides - in a realm where "left" 
   or "right" are no longer relevant. The new political 
   alternative is between the old political class on one side, 
   and the new media-class on the other. With Italy, the 
   media-class has now seized power in Europe. It will also 
   happen in the United States, in France, in Spain, and 
   elsewhere. 
 
   CARLOS OLIVEIRA: Do you see some kind of media-fascism 
   looming on the horizon? 
 
   PAUL VIRILIO: No, because what I see is far worse! Due to 
   its overwhelming power, the totalitarianism of the 
   information-medium is going to be even more powerful than 
   the traditional political totalitarianism of the old 
   national-socialist or communist hues. The dangers are 
   looming larger. I repeat: only if one is guarded against 
   its dangers will it be possible to enjoy the positive 
   aspects of the developments in the realm of new 
   technologies. 
 
   CARLOS OLIVEIRA: In your eyes, is there any way out of this 
   rather bleak situation? 
 
   PAUL VIRILIO: An accompanying evil here is the end of 
   writing, as it unfolds through image technology, 
   cinema/film, and television-screen. These new developments 
   threaten the ability to conjure up mental images with 
   oblivion. The typical modern human is characterized by a 
   life under the dictatorship of the screen, to which the 
   written word falls victim. We don't read any more, we 
   hardly write each other - since we can call each other on 
   the phone. Next, we will no longer speak! I'd really like 
   to say: this will indeed be the silence of the lambs!