Future solution to terrorism?

I expect that the US government has already figured out how to end much of the world’s terrorism in the next several decades. This opinion is based on the following facts:

1. Drone strikes are already being used against terrorists.

2. A set of technologies will soon converge to make such strikes far more effective, with no unwanted civilian casualties.

Here is how such a system will work:

1. Tiny drones the size of insects will be equipped with sensors capable of capturing audio and visual data. Each will be equipped with a tiny stinger, containing ricin or a similarly toxic substance.

2. The drones will be equipped with wireless communications, tightly linked to satellites. The satellites will also communicate with AI supercomputers.

3. These drones will be produced in quantity, at very low cost. They will be camouflaged, and be able to hide in all of the places that insects hide. They could be dispersed in huge quantities to saturate any area where terrorist activity is suspected.

4. The drones will observe communications, recording and transmitting data such as speech and faces.

5. The supercomputers will translate language in real time, and will use facial recognition algorithms to positively ID people.

6. When an individual is identified as a terrorist, a strike order will be initiated. The drone will shoot, crawl, jump or fly to deliver a fatal sting.

7. I also expect that these drones will be deployed against religious leaders who incite terrorism. Each time such a religious leader is killed, another will take his place. After a while, no one will be available to take that place, and there will be the added benefit of conveying the meta-message that “God does not want preachers talking this way, else he would protect them.”

8. This system has the added possible advantage of deniability. Given that the only residue will be an insect-sized drone, it may not be traceable to the US–or to whatever nation-state deploys these drones.

9. Since this system relies on orbital satellites, I expect that this development will result in a consortium of nations controlling near-Earth space, and allowing no other satellites to orbit.

I should emphasize that I am neither endorsing nor criticizing this development. I simply see it as inevitable until the world has permanently left behind its current Scarcity Game-based institutions and mindsets. That said, I do see distinct societal minuses and pluses.

On the minus side, this increases the prevalence of the surveillance state, and it is possible that such systems will be deployed much more widely than merely for terrorism control. In my view, this is an important reason why we need to move towards “bi-modal surveillance”, such as I have proposed in A Celebration Society.

On the plus side, the end of viable recruiting strategies for terrorism will be a net gain for the entire world. However, to eliminate the root causes, it will be necessary to end the scarcity that causes (for example) mothers to send their children to madrasses where they are taught nothing but religion, with no useful skills inculcated–all so that the kids are fed one good meal daily. (According to a Time Magazine article, that is the reason many kids are sent; not due to any desire for them to receive such a limited education.)

While some Muslim terrorists come from educated classes, in my view they are susceptible to such recruiting because they recognize serious deficiencies in advanced Western societies and find reasons–accurate in their view–why those Western nations keep Muslim populations in thrall.

If Celebration Societies spread into Muslim nations in future years, I expect that there will be significant opposition due to what many will regard as immoral behavior. However, many more will see that there is finally a real chance for their children to have a good life.

As I wrote in the book, a thousand years ago the Vikings were leading terrorists and Arabia led the world in arts, mathematics and sciences. Arabia has the same potential to shine again, and the elimination of distorting effects of oil on societies should help enable this.

There are also terrorists associated with other religions, but in my view all can and will eventually be thwarted by the modalities I believe the US Government is now planning to deploy. It may take decades, but I see no good response by those who wish to foment terrorism.

My wife points out that the lone terrorist who is determined to make a suicidal point will not be deterred by this system. She gives the example of the Oklahoma City Bomber. And yet, I wonder if superior capabilities to track components of weaponry or weapons themselves won’t eventually enable the US and its allies to track down these terrorists as well. AIs and diverse kinds of sensors, massively deployed with redundancy, will present a formidable opponent to would-be terrorists.

Given that basic needs are universally met, I foresee all of this developing a peaceful world.