The problem with predictions

Here is an (edited) excerpt from a boingboing post on corporate futurism that I found interesting because it is so accurate:

"... the epitome of what's wrong with corporate futurism: it assumes that things will change in a way that enhances the corporation's ability to get the job done (which... it does), but without changing things in ways that enhance the world's ability to clobber the corporation's bottom line.

Other examples:

* The Internet will enable us to deliver pay-on-demand movies to our viewers' homes (but it won't let them get those movies without paying for them)

* The Internet will enable us to save money on our long-distance trunks (but it won't let callers bypass the tariff-based telephone system altogether)

* The Internet will enable the police to coordinate international investigations (but it won't let criminals coordinate their activities to evade the police)"