I realized what bothers me about @vitalik.eth d/acc essay. Even though it is optimistic, it shares with the pessimist side a presumption that technology, as an evolutionary process, *can* be governed according to some notion of human intent.

“Tech can/cannot be governed” is a bigger divide than optimism/pessimism

I’m surprised by this view.

Counterargument: the regulatory state has chokepointed all physical technology for decades. Eroom’s law (see below) is just now finally flattening out as FDA loses prestige.

Bans on tech held back everyone from the Ottomans to Zheng He. Policy shapes what is feasible in technology.

Blogger at ribbonfarm.com, running summerofprotocols.com, host of /gloom ☀️

Such control is always local in time and space. See argument down thread. Lack of capital and downstream lack of capability absorption capacity determine rate more than regulatory attempts.