I think the technology is amazing but I am also concerned about how our government is looking at it.
Now, we are approaching the point in which anyone can produce almost anything outside big brother’s regulations. (we aren’t there yet but I can see it within the next few decades).
Knowing how the government operates, I can predict some major over-reactions, such as criminalizing ownership of restricted plans (such as plans for this gun or magazines), restricting the printing devices and components (this is a tough one as there are ‘open source’ printers available now and people can print the parts to make new printers for each other- not to mention the raw material is just plastic), criminalizing printing of parts that interfere with established manufacturers (such as printing a replacement trim piece for your car because you are taking away from an existing company that makes it).
Uncharted territory that reminds me of the late 90s with the Internet.
It could also serve as a potential economic boom like the internet did.
Yup - and that's where the First Amendment comes in.
When I saw the replicators on Star Trek, it looked cool. You could order up anything you wanted, any time you wanted. In the later series, you saw how the supply was limited by available power and restrictions on what could be replicated. In short, the replicators eliminated most traditional manufacturing - and gave the people in charge the ability to ration everything and control material specifications, too.
It wasn’t freedom from material want. You saw people who had darn near no possessions at all, even with families with two kids. You got food and endless entertainment, but not “stuff” beyond your allotment.