The Technological advancements of the Twentieth Century have hindered mankind's physical, moral and spiritual growth.

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The Technological advancements of the Twentieth Century have hindered mankind’s physical, moral and spiritual growth.

The last hundred years has seen many technological breakthroughs.  The invention of the telephone has improved communication; medical equipment, saved lives, equally however technology has its evil.  The atom bomb has a capacity to destroy; the Internet may be used as a vehicle for fraud or pornography.  Perhaps it is not technological advancement in itself that is so destructive, rather mans employment of technology to harm.

Throughout the years war and conflict have always existed.  Therefore it is not possible to assert technological advancements are the cause of war.  However it is possible to question whether advancements have increased death and destruction consequent to war.  This is a different issue entirely.

        In 1916 during WW1, the Battle Of The Somme took place.  By Christmas, and the battle’s end, 800,000 lives had been claimed.  In contrast the Vietnam War during the 1970’s 58,000 Americans died.  The number of fatalities of war seems to have been dramatically reduced.  Perhaps this indicates in fact that technology has helped reduce the number of deaths in war, with an ability to decipher targets more clearly and the move away from trench warfare.  On the other hand, it has been asserted that the advancements in weaponry in WW1 created the stalemate conditions that contributed to the cause of so many deaths.

        Such an assertion seems preposterous when considering if advancements in weaponry created the stalemate during WW1 and consequently the high fatalities at the Somme why subsequently a repeat scenario did not ensue in Vietnam?  It appears thus that the fewer deaths in the Vietnam War may actually have been achieved by improvements in technology.  While perhaps an over simplified view, considering the different nature of these wars, there does appear to be evidence to support the case stated.

The movement of people has been possible for many centuries, in many different modes, on foot, on horseback, by sea and by rail.  The 20th century saw great improvements in transportation, making journeys quicker, easier, more accessible and more efficient.  Can it be determined if improvements in transportation and infrastructure have had a detrimental effect on mankind?

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        Henry Ford worked on the design of the automobile from 1896.  In the early 1900’s the first car was completed.  Greater speed and mobility followed.  An invention of great utility indeed! with the ability of man to pursue more projects in less time.  A visit to town was no longer a daylong excursion, the journey to see relatives no longer so taxing.  Surely then such an expedient invention could not have caused harm to humanity.  However with such ingenuity comes inadequacy namely mans failure or recklessness to control machine.  Or the impossibility of such invention to overcome the difficulties presented ...

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