Sorry...didn't mean to get political, but when it comes down to it, all technological questions have to become political ones at some point.

Seems to me with communism/Marxism having fallen by the wayside, the only debate in today's world is over degrees of capitalism. Does it even need defending given its success in today's world? What in the world is all this paranoid circling-the-wagons about?

I don't know where you get this impression, but capitalism is under furious attack where it counts, in universities, in our media culture, and from certain segments of our own government (not to mention other governments). Marxism has not fallen by the wayside, just changed its calling card. The Left pretty much runs our educational system, and the rank economic ignorance of many of our citizens reflects that. Anybody remember "Junior Achievement" when we were kids? Seen it lately? The principles of economics are no less important than the principles of math and physics.

Try and remember the last time you saw a wealthy and successful businessman on television or in a movie who was not at least a crook, if not a murderer. Go ahead, I'll wait.*

Remember when technology was a good thing? And progress? I'm old enough to remember the World's Fairs, when the future was atomic powered and looked like a painting by Syd Mead. At least on this latter front, Star Trek came through with flying colors, showing a future worth living in.

Capitalism needs SERIOUS defending. So does the idea that intelligence and technology are good for mankind. And arguing about degrees of capitalism is like arguing about degrees of freedom. The two are interrelated.

In the Star Trek TNG episode, "The Neutral Zone," a businessman from our time is unfrozen from hibernation, and gets some culture shock when exposed to the odd money-neutral Federation. Some mocking and smug superiority is expressed by the Enterprise crew, which irritated me more than a little.

*I can think of one: the protagonist on "Hart to Hart."