Flash Mobs -- Predicted in the 1960's by Larry Niven

June 8 2011 | By Lazamataz

[humblegunner]

I like Larry Niven, especially some of the stuff he did with Jerry Pournell.

[luvbach1]

Looks like Rahm Immanuel (new Chicago Mayor) brought Flash Mobs with him into Chicago.

[ComputerGuy]

The Mote in God's Eye was a good one.

[rbg81]

“Undercover” cops can subscribe to these flash mob groups and allow police to prempt them. You can even provide disinformation. Very easy and risk-free for the police since the Internet allows you to be anonymous.

[Jaxter]

"There must be some ideas on how to combat this new trend.."

[Lazamataz]

Niven was one of the best. I liked him solo, frankly. But the neat part here is, because human nature doesn’t change, Niven predicted Flash Mobs 50 years ago. His ‘enabling device’ was a teleporter, so he was wrong there, but substitute ‘cell phone’ and you have the same damn Flash Mob.

[JRandomFreeper]

There must be some ideas on how to combat this new trend without massive restrictions and monitoring on the internet. Any ideas?

Shoot them when they start committing crimes. Heinlein was the master of sci-fi.

But Mr. Niven was kind enough to return a letter to me after I wrote him, many years ago. That boy and the Pournelle boy can spin a good yarn.

/johnny

[Lazamataz]

That’s kinda what I was driving at. This might provide a nice argument against high capacity clip bans.

[RC2]

When you don’t hold kids responsible for their actions, especially when they are under 18 years of age, you’re going to have trouble. Especially in the inner city. These kids know that no one is going to do anything to them, even if they are caught breaking the law.

[bvw]

Bring back respect for real marriage, real families, dads married to mom. Make it illegal and enforceable to father a child out of wedlock, and to bear a child when unmarried. Only pay welfare to MARRIED moms.

[evets]

I remember when David Niven was flashed in front of a mob...

[Lazamataz]

rbg81: “Undercover” cops can subscribe to these flash mob groups and allow police to prempt them. You can even provide disinformation. Very easy and risk-free for the police since the Internet allows you to be anonymous.

Solution. Brilliant. THANKS!

[pappyone]

Great SF reference, Laz. Only thing that comes to mind, given your restrictions, is for the police to do a flash police mob at the site of the disturbance. That would be like a quick reactions force. On second thought, forget the police idea.
If all citizens are armed, then maybe the flash mob would think twice about their thuggery.

[GonzoGOP]

I like Larry Niven, especially some of the stuff he did with Jerry Pournell.

Footfall was an excellent work. The part I liked about it goes along with the thread. It was comparing how humans react to a situation when contrasted with the aliens who had a very different nature. When the Aliens surrendered the stayed surrendered. They just couldn't come to grips with the idea of spies and traitors since such things were as alien to them as elephants with starships were to us.

[SES1066]

I agree with you in all aspects except one - you put him in the past tense as if he were dead. While he no longer appears to be actively writing, as of my last check, he was still amongst the living. My absolute fave of his short stories is the fantastic “Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex” (why superdooperman will not successfully have offspring)!

[Kartographer]

How about a plasma rifle in a 40watt range?

[Maceman]

How easy will it be to find the flash mob groups and subscribe to them before they mobs take action?

[Jack Hydrazine]

“There must be some ideas on how to combat this new trend without massive restrictions and monitoring on the internet.”

“Any ideas?”

Liberalize the gun laws to make them easier to own by more law-abiding citizens for a start. A national Constitutional carry concealed law needs to be in place.

When the flash mobbers decide to riot and or rob a store or twenty let the law-abiding go wild and start taking them down with their on-hand firepower.

How long do you think that would go on if the laws were liberalized to the point that it became open season on the criminals?