Well – at the very least one can feel a sense of appreciation and awe at engineering feats behind this development. It’s a kind of “evil-genius” admiration one might feel when one examines about how a extremely well designed virus works. Penguin – it’s certainly true that it could be used in all kinds of positive ways. I would suggest that branch of applications ought to start with a mix of both rational thinking and genuine compassion (for the target and the person pulling the trigger). As you say – anything can be abused…. It might be more appropriate to consider the mis-allocation of resources instead of money – since we so commonly spend money on useless things. It’s the most worthless thing of value there is really – unless you don’t have enough. This ties into my previous comment, since we really wouldn’t have much need for weapons if we structured society to insure everyone at least had their basic needs met (i.e. developing systems that help provide all citizens with a sense of purpose and self-worth). We just can’t accomplish that with money or government oversight alone, as the failed experiments of welfare and communism exemplify.

Victor – have you ever heard the song “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath? There’s definitely poetic justice in those at the top pulling the strings reaping what they sow – but if this is ever to be the norm, it will no longer carry the same satisfaction you might imagine. I think we just kid ourselves about the world being a better place were such people to be “taken out”. Ultimately, they are manufactured by endemic-emergent problems within individuals and the social structures we create. Besides, people in those positions always make sure they are protected, otherwise they rarely make it that far or for that long.

I’m drastically over simplifying it – but usually, a powerful person doing the right thing ultimately pisses off the bad guys somewhere who start making slightly mess money then they were (or otherwise have less fun) – and they don’t play fair. I suppose it’s a bit like plot of Dark Knight – playing out with far more subtly in the real world. In a way becoming powerful and influential while yet avoiding corruption is like defying entropy or achieving perpetual motion in a socio-cultural sense. It’s always been just out of reach, although history is full of great leaders who came close. In any case, if we actually get to a point where we can make informed decisions about our leaders and learn who / what whispers in their ear – if we see someone who can resist such temptations and still make the right decisions for those they represent – and even those they don’t… I dunno about you but I would gladly follow and protect someone… or something able to accomplish that. That’s been a pretty tall order though if you look back. I guess all I am trying to say is that we’re at least as likely to create better leaders that really walk their talk than we are to see leaders taking part in the fighting (since these are actually the same thing).

The leader is always protected by his / her followers because he / she has indoctrinated or otherwise convinced them to follow – and they ultimately find ways to defeat or counter the weapons of those that would harm their leader. In the end – I guess it’ll at least be interesting to see how the development of weapons and also information access technologies (techniques) will reshape things. One example is the hacker group Anonymous. I think we’ll see a lot more efficacy from learning the dirty secrets of the ruling elite and acting on that information accordingly than we will from smart bombs and bullets. If the corrupt cannot hide, it’s the first step of the cure.