As if we don't already have enough opportunities to get off on the pain and suffering of others, I ran across this yesterday. It looks as if John Poindexter's DARPA project has been reincarnated on the Internet. Yes, now you too can bet on when and where the next terrorist attack will take place.
Much like a regular financial market, you buy or sell virtual shares of major international news events that you feel are likely to occur. Watch your virtual shares rise or fall based on other participants predictions. TerrorXchange has taken over from where the Pentagon's DARPA left off, with an innovative approach to seeking news forms of analysis. With each participant aiming to profit from their view, opinion is cut to the bare essentials, providing a macro-analysis which often provides predictive information more accurate than the views of single security experts. The TerrorXchange Index is designed to create a truly independent measure of the real risk faced by the global community in this changed world. Using the cumulative power of educated minds to wade through the fog of rhetoric and and political spin, TerrorXchange presents a tool that will both help and influence policy makers, financial institutions and individuals. Sign up today and receive One-Million TerrorDollars (T$) to start trading with.
Ooo...one MILLION TerrorDollars. Be still, my foolish heart....
I understood the theory behind Poindexter's DARPA project, and if you can get past the cynical nature of it, it makes some sense. My problem is that I CAN'T get past the cynical nature of this concept. Betting on the likelihood of horrific suffering and death is something that I have a difficult time getting behind. If this is the kind of thing that attracts you interest, might I suggest that now would be a good time to think about doing something PRODUCTIVE?
