Of Bombs and Polygraphs
Ken Alder*
ABSTRACT
This essay pairs two prototypically American technological objects of the mid-twentieth century: the atomic bomb and the lie detector. Although the former has been touted as the supreme achievement of modern technoscience, and the latter dismissed as a placebo device, the two "gadgets" actually performed in analogous fashion. Indeed, the essay suggests that these technologies are best understood not in terms of narrow functionality but in terms of their performance—akin to that of Frankenstein's monster—in the domains of justice, popular culture, and geopolitics. Specifically, it argues that the mutually supportive roles played by the two objects underscore the ways in which the theater of deterrence sustained American sovereignty during the era of the Cold War.
There are some important similarities:
We agree that both devices are designed to intimidate.
We agree that both are attempts to innovate technical solutions to sociopolitical problems.
Nuclear Weapons do not "keep the peace", they pre-empt overt violence with the threat of bigger violence.
Polygraphs do not "detect lies", they pre-empt lies through the application of a bigger lie ("we can tell if you are lying")
There are also some important differences:
Nuclear weapons generally do precisely what they are designed to do... destroy huge areas of real-estate and people and leave the area contaminated.
Polygraphs do not "detect lies".
Nuclear weapons are most effective if "never used".
Polygraphs are only effective if misused.
Just our opinion here, what do YOU think?
5 comments:
Ken Alder concludes his powerful essay with the following:
"The evidence suggests that these techniques of psychological torture are no more likely to produce reliable information than is physical torture—as if functionality were the point. Rather, the point of these grim exercises would seem to be far more central to the theater of sovereign power: We do it because we can.
"These are the questions we have to ask ourselves whenever we look in the artifactual mirror and shudder in recognition: Is that what we believe? Is that us?"
And to bring it on home, does Bechtel (and its "masters," the NNSA and DOE) do this stuff to us LANL workers -- polygraphs and pee-in-the-cup -- just because they can? Should we Lab employees "just suck it up," as our "benefactor" "St." Pete tells us? Is this truly America any more? (Land of the "free," home of the "brave" and all that propaganda we were taught in school?)
It would appear that the answers to these questions is: Yes. Sadly, yes. Drink your Kool-Aid.
There's never been an accidental detonation but there have been accidental detections?
I think this blog looks like it is dead.
I not going to take one of the new random polygraphs at the watermelon factory, what an idiotic suggestion! Dropped my ticket instead. Sure, take a 50/50 chance at losing your job and getting "fully investigated" because some polygraph tech needs to fill a quota.
My husband is an absolute fanatic when it comes to gadgets; he's always looking for the latest stuff to hit the markets. So for this Christmas I thought I would do a bit of research and try to find a gift that he would appreciate. I managed to find a website that specialises in the latest tech toys. The only problem I have now is finding something that he would like. Any gadget guru's out there that can point me in the right direction? He tends to like computer related gadgets.
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