Technology is not just about the machines

In our language is ludditten been molboens cousin. The term originated from the movement of English craftsmen during the industrial revolution rebelled by breaking into factories and destroying the machines that took the jobs their, and their mythical leader 'King Ludd".

Each year since the industrial revolution has been a little and a little more clearly how wrong they took. But has history been too hard on luddittene? Their actions were radical, yes, but they did something that we today see as completely legitimate, and partly cheer up: to take the powerful to rebuke a development they felt went against them.

And it feels like it is becoming more common. Frustration over everything from concrete politics to more fluid sizes "globalisme", elitestyre, nyliberalisme and godhetstyranni has put parts of the people in the guy, in the comments and in the streets, time and time again the last few years.

during the year last two months, so frustration got its outlet in France. Hundreds of thousands have blocked the streets and marched in protest, dressed in the now infamous yellow vestene. Violent opportunists wearing the same vestene has helped to create international attention.

Straw which caused it to overflow for the French, was the increased tax on fossil fuels. But gradually it has become clear that they are protesting far more: Weak growth, high inequality and poor living conditions.

The strictly necessary klimaavgiften was still the first thing that broke when president Macron tried to placate the protesters, and the protests have sparked a larger international soul-searching around the avgifters role in climate policy.

at Least two things connecting today's yellow vests and 1800-century ludditter. For the first, demonstrating against the changes from bird's-eye view emerges as to the best community in the long term, but that involves considerable friction. Second, it demonstrates they are against better technology.

in the broad sense is all technology not just about computers but also about how we organize ourselves and how we solve tasks. Through developing the welfare system and to build up institutions, tax systems and regulations, we have since the industrial revolution not only developed the machines, but also found increasingly better ways to organize our community. So we have been more productive, and richer.

There is something very French over The yellow vestene. But as mentioned, they are also the personification of a larger trend. The rebellion against the Un migrasjonsplattform in a number of countries, a non-binding covenant to make the world's flyktningsituasjon more manageable is another example. Just before christmas led to that, the Belgian prime minister went off.

It is perhaps the sharpest example here at home, is the resistance to tolls. Bompengefinansiering is an example of a political solution – a technology – which makes sure that we organize ourselves better and become more effective.

In each case, apply what they required around metropolitan areas, those who have faced the greatest resistance in the last year. Research and other experience has repeatedly shown that to praise the use of the path in this way works to achieve our goals, whether they are less queuing, better air and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore interesting that, despite the fact that it is the opponents have received the most attention, so is the resistance towards to finance the toll road falling. Not only that, last week, showed a survey done by the Bergens Tidende newspaper that the majority of the town now, unlike two years ago, is for that bompengene should also fund the development of kollektivprosjekter, not only the new way.

Similarly showed a STATISTICS norway survey last week that norwegians are more positive to immigration and immigrants, in contrast to the noise in conjunction with the Un migrasjonsplattform. And in Paris gathered a klimamarsj about twice as many protesters as the yellow vestene helga VG was in the French capital to cover the demonstrations.

It is not necessarily such that there is frustration in the streets and in the kommentarfeltene that best capture the spirit of the people. In spite of brexit and in spite of Trump. It does not mean that it frustrated the minority will cease to make sound. Or that we should stop listening to them.

But are we going to solve today's great challenges, not in loud rebellion from a minority get in the way of good political solutions either. Politics is also technology. It is not at least the Norwegian prosperity.

the Norwegian etterkrigshistorie is the story about the importance of political solutions that have made us richer and more productive. Forward is the klimakrisa and growing migration which is our times biggest challenges. And they are completely dependent on the policies to be resolved.

we Learn not by this can klimaframtida be a little nice Comment