[geekWithA.45]

http://interviews.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/03/10/167206&mode=thread&tid=134&tid=192

The RKBA relevant part is quoted here:

Cautionary tales?
by J. Random Software
You've built worlds with uncommonly dystopian elements, such as Plateau's long tyranny over a disarmed populace, organlegging, all-out war with ruthless aliens, and suppression of dangerous technology. Have you intended any of these to be cautions about likely (or even inevitable) events, or just interesting to think about?

Niven: Sure, they're all intended as warnings.
Nevertheless--what I've been serving up through most of my career are the dark sides of bright futures.

Organlegging, including State executions for organs, is the dark side of longevity, advanced medical techniques.

Disarmed populace and suppression of dangerous technology seem inevitable. Be warned. {geeks note: emphasis mine}

War with aliens seems less likely, except that an enemy is always alien to some extent.
Plateau was fairyland with a single flaw.

Inevitable, is it? Hmmm....it seems we have much to say about that....

[Orthonym]

So? The people who need to hear him ain't gonna look at it. What frightened me was the attitudes expressed by some of the slashdotters. Whoo! Super mean, arrogant and leftish!


Try to talk to one's golfish neighbor about the implications of Niven's organ-transplant horror story, even though it's already actually happening in China! Their eyes just glaze over. Aaargh!