To me it seems clear they weren't engaged in grand strategy, that the particulars of democracy & values weren't at the forefront. Simply turning back the tides against onslaught was the move of the day. Facing overrun, they were seeking every advantage they could; they did not have the luxury of advocating their values.
I feel sorry for AT & his colleagues. Because they couldn't share their great work, because incredible advanced & efforts had to be kept secret. Because people had to die, information had to go un-acted upon, to maintain the strategic advantage.
But developing a toolkit for democracy, developing capabilities and potentials: that threatens no one. There's no cost to doing that. We don't have to try to seed democratic technologies to the world. But we should have this arsenal of freedom. We should ennoble & potentiate humanity, so that when the times come, we are ready. Let's try. Let's not be afraid, and worthless. Let's be as brave as Bletchley, let's prepare.
Threatens no one? Toolkits for democracies threaten illiberal autocracies like China, Russia, and North Korea, they present it as a threat to their sovereign power and they threaten retaliation against everyone else in response. With the recent ongoing war against nuclear Russia in the spotlight, with China's looming threat to swallow Taiwan into its totalitarian police state, it's surprising to encounter such ignorance to what's at stake. Strategic advantage is more important than ever.
If you want to be as brave as Alan Turing and his colleagues, then have the bravery to be thoughtful and discreet as they were. They weren't afraid and worthless. Alan Turing had the bravery to do what you now call cowardly, but I can think of worse insults to describe ignorant & reckless vigilantes in the high stakes theatre of geopolitics. If you want to prepare, the US govt (and other democratic countries) is hiring.
To me it seems clear they weren't engaged in grand strategy, that the particulars of democracy & values weren't at the forefront. Simply turning back the tides against onslaught was the move of the day. Facing overrun, they were seeking every advantage they could; they did not have the luxury of advocating their values.
I feel sorry for AT & his colleagues. Because they couldn't share their great work, because incredible advanced & efforts had to be kept secret. Because people had to die, information had to go un-acted upon, to maintain the strategic advantage.
But developing a toolkit for democracy, developing capabilities and potentials: that threatens no one. There's no cost to doing that. We don't have to try to seed democratic technologies to the world. But we should have this arsenal of freedom. We should ennoble & potentiate humanity, so that when the times come, we are ready. Let's try. Let's not be afraid, and worthless. Let's be as brave as Bletchley, let's prepare.