A real nightmare scenario

[YankeyMCC]

So a little while ago I wanted to discuss a story in Asimov's here well now a large portion of the story has been posted on the Asimov's web site here's a taste:

(snip)
President Joe Doakes—now eligible for a third and fourth term thanks to a life-extending DNA-modification that made him legally a different person—issued periodic statements to the effect that the nant-sphere computer was soon coming on-line.
(snip)

Maybe we shouldn't support stem cell reasearch in case it leads to something like this we'd end up with Bush forever. ;)

Here's the link: http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0606/Chu.shtml

[phantom power]

1. Ever read "Patterns of Dorn" by Theodore Sturgeon?

[YankeyMCC]

2. I haven't

I haven't read as much of Sturgeon as I probably should.

[phantom power]

3. I'll try to avoid any spoilers, but...

the basic purpose of the story was to ask the question: if you have an immortal dictator, what if the right thing to do is let him stay in power?

[YankeyMCC]

4. Well that certainly sounds interesting

I'll look it up.