evil creature in a Marvel comic. Althoughncomputer &gfiTes in the title of his booknand is sprinkled throughout the pagesnlike shards of glass that are meant to shrednthe feet of the barefoot innocents whonbeing adopted that make it easier andneasier for the NSA to dominate our societynshould it ever decide such action isnnecessary.” Tacit is that it probably willnfind it necessary. Bumham rarely ex-n”… an entertaining book, studded with anecdotes about computer-system abuses.”nIheNewRepublicntraverse the course (once they’re throughnit, they’ll never want to get anywherennear the objects of Bumham’s derision),nvirtually anything that smacks of sophisticationnis the enemy. CB radios are notnsingled out for attack, though they couldnbe: he could figure them as a diabolicalnweb stretching over the highways andnbyways, one that the State could use tonetisnare unsuspecting motorists fornsome never-defined reasons. If it’s morentechnologically complex than a tablenlamp, then it’s suspect and somehow becomesna computer. For example. Burnhamncites the incarceration of Japanese-nAmericans during World War 11 andnstates, “The Census Bureau data, recordednon punch cards that could benquickly tabulated by a kind of mechanicalncomputer,” was instrumental. Clearly,none is to suppose, the “data,” “punchncards” and “computer” are at the heart ofnthe matter. Somehow, the modifier “ankind of mechanical” slips by in the emotionallyncharged discourse. As previouslynmentioned, the electronic-vacuum tubencomputer formed thefirstgeneration. It’sngenerally accepted that the first computernis ENIAC, which made its debut inn1946—rafter the war. But that doesn’tnstop Bumham, for he quickly moves onnto indict telephones and cable tele vision.nHis thesis is that the world that GeorgenOrwell described in 1984 is aborning,nthat the equipment that is being put innplace by organizations, utilities, hospitals,nandindustries will makeusaU readilynmonitored and manipulated binary digitsnin a Master Computer. Americans are tonbe gravely concemed(notthankftil)thatnthe National Security Agency has massivencomputers. Bumham warns, “Every day,nin almost every area of culture and commerce,nsystems and procedures arenplains, though he always implies. Onenmight raise a similar argument: it’sndangerous to equip the U.S. Army withncontemporary weapons for they willnmake it easier for the generals to stage ancoup should they decide such action isnnecessary. The disturbing thing is thatnBumham might agree. Bumham insistsnthat the litde guy will be helpless in thenface of the computer power massed by allnof the three-digit organizations (e.g.,nNSA, CIA, FBI, IRS, AT&T, IBM, etc.). Inwonder how he esq^lains teenage computernhackers?nOne of the most unusual things aboutnBumham is that he is awfully afraid of informationn(a condition that makes hisnchosen profession seem to be an odd one.nMetaphysicsnUnder the title “The Endearing Ms.n[Shirley] MacLaine,” The ChicagonTribune lovingly reports on the garb ofnthe woman who inspires the minds andnsouls of the liberal quarter-intelligentsia:nShe was wearing an ordinary sweatsuit,nstereo headphones and a T-shirt thatnread, ‘Don’t with me Fellas!’nLater, during the interview with a worshippingnTrib reporter, Ms. MacLainenprovides an explanation as to why shenmight have been compelled to word hernsense of protectiveness in such a strong,nstrident manner:nI think I may have been a prostitute innanother life. DnLIBERAL CULTUREnnnuntil oneconsidershisplacesofemploy).nPresumably, less skittish Americansnwould feel good knowing that law enforcementnagencies have data—computerizednor otherwise—^that aid them innstopping crimes or in seeing that criminalsnare apprehended, that welfere agenciesnhave the information that permitsnthem to spot some of those who are tryingnto bilk the system, that the telephonencompany can (usually) make sure thatnone isn’t billed for someone else’s call tonPago Pago. Knowing such things scaresnthe pants oflf of Bumham as well as thosenof Walter Cronkite, who intones in thenforeword, “If—or is it when?—^thesencomputers are permitted to talk to onenanother, when diey are interlinked, theyncan spew out a roomful of data on each ofnus that will leave us naked before whoeverngains access to the information.”n”Whoever” is, of course. Big Brother. Notnonly are there numerous references tonOrwell throughout the book, there isneven a drawing of the big guy on the dustnjacket.nComputers can be used for all sorts ofn-^-^n^^i^^^l^^nI^^-^KWnjfem.n^ ^ ^ ^ni^^Hff^H^M^ ^^..>n,y«^S^^Z’*^ m^’n^S#nMUHMZInApril 1984n