One thought that didn't make it in to the previous ramble...
If only a small fraction of the population learns the art of written communication, will that fraction become a sort of intellectual elite? Can we imagine a society where the few who can read and write are the effective rulers of those who can't, or won't?
It needn't even feel terribly oppressive to the underclass, becuase everything is decided by elections in which they vote. And of course they cast informed votes. They watch TV news, written by ... those who can write.
(Interestingly enough, in the Sector General books, automatic translation of speech had been perfected, but automatic translation of writing was apparently non-existent. Maintenance people would punch a button to hear any notices that applied to a piece of equipment rather than reading a posted notice. Their translators would translate the speech into their own language. That was one situation where the ability to read was downgraded in importance.)
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