Back in 1848, Karl Marx heralded his prophecy that the “visible incorporeal spirit, esp. one of a terrifying nature; ghost;phantom;apparition- some object or source of terror or dread.  He projected the economic system of Communism against the capitalist powers of the earth.  He predicted class warfare and called the dispossessed of the world to unite for they had nothing to lose, but their chains.  And thus over a hundred years of global unrest was unleashed and it has not yet run its course.  But, there are new specters arriving on the scene daily it seems with nary a scary economic or political manifesto attached. 

          Tatatara that is the sound of trumpets announcing the arrival of a new scourge to which we have to adjust. The bottom right-hand corner of the front page of the NY Times this morning announces:  Defying Experts, Rogue Code Lurks in World’s Computers. Quick, Mothers, hide your daughter’s, computers. The program; Known as conficker can take the computers in homes and offices and link them into a virtual computer that can be commanded remotely by it’s unknown and unseen authors.

          Mr. Marx is still venerated in places like China although China has learned enough about Capitalism to beat the West at its own game.  But, wait, they have to deal, like the rest of us with code writers who do not appear to have an economic or political agenda.  What do they want?  They are not telling but they do hold the powers in the word hostage until the day when the other shoe drops.