For the Better and for the Worse

In class, we made it clear that declaring that something was significant supports nothing of an argument. In order to make a firm and substantial claim in history, one must argue the positive (what happened because of), rather than the negative (what wouldn’t have happened). In other words, one must always support their points with evidence in contrast to a hypothetical; show and do not tell. So, while reading epoch five, I narrowed it down to the one of the most significant events which happened in the past twenty-five or so years and decided to evaluate it like I would have in class. With the ever advancing system of technology that possesses the world, it has peaked in the past couple if years with inventions such as phones, computers, and more. But, perhaps the most influential and important technological step forward has been the creation and instillation of the internet in society. By 1995, the internet had been widespread and in several homes throughout the world, in addition to universities and schools which utilized it for educational purposes. It served many purposes and made the thousand’s of people’s lives remarkably easier. Purposes include economical, political, social, and for communication. Communication via the internet completely revolutionized the world and how people interacts with each other regardless of location. With communication being so easily accomplished, it allowed technologies, ideas, and materials to be handed over to anyone who asked for it. This has its pros and cons, as it can be used to improve many aspects of civilization, but can be extremely detrimental if the technology and potential power is placed in the wrong hands, which is precisely what happened leading up to and on September 11, 2001. Using the internet to communicate with international citizens who could help them with their task, as well as to educate themselves based on known facts and ideas on the internet, Al Qaeda got a hold of American war technologies and strategies. Also, through communicating with individuals through the internet, managed to obtain U.S. missile technologies and other battle products which the Americans utilized during war. With all of the technology, knowledge, and beliefs that Al Qaeda maintained over the years, they attacked and shook the United States of America by surprise on 9/11, flying two domestic planes into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon building in Washington D.C. This attack, again, had its pros and cons. Obviously, the con was the extraordinary depression, grief, and sorrow to those who died and suffered as a result of the attacks, in addition to the corruptness and ever lasting installment of fear in society and the great effect on politics and the economy not only in America but worldwide. Despite all of the negativity, though, the dominant wake-up call to all nations of the world which pointed to the instability of society because of all the rapid and extreme advances in the world; technology was getting ahead of humanity. We can see a pattern here, of humanity’s ambition taking control over humanity’s rationale and senses. This pattern points to my claim that the progression in technology, specifically the internet, allowed humanity to take too big of a step forward that it was ready to process and reason out. It eventually led to the realization that technology needed to be stabilized and restricted to a level of security and safety. The internet can be considered one of most influential progressions in human-technology history because considering what happened as a result of it, humans were forced to revise society and technology, and make both as effectual and controlled as it prominently is today--and is still in development of becoming better, and worse.