From: James Rogers (jamesr@best.com)
Date: Tue Aug 29 2000 - 05:39:50 MDT
On Tue, 29 Aug 2000, you wrote:
>
> The Turning Point Project appears to be the first antitechnology organization
> aimed specifically at the Singularity - they specifically oppose genetic
> engineering, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence.
Some of the main players in this project, such as Miyoko Sakashita, have
their personal ideologies moderately well-referenced on the net. Their
ideal world is a pre-corporate barter economy.
Of course, they don't like the Internet either, since it can't be used for
"ecospiritual" purposes and is a tool of oppression for the Big Corps (tm).
> I don't *think* these people will have a decisive influence on the future. I
> doubt that Congress or the public-at-large will have strong reactions to
> nanotech or AI until the first applications actually make it to the market, or
> at least are demonstrated in the laboratory. But I could be wrong.
The Turning Point Project has apparently been sued by the Western Fuels
Association for commercial defamation or similar, apparently in response
to a global warming ad in the New York Times. The regular old corporate
interests aren't terribly pleased with these individuals either. They
would certainly have an uphill battle, as they are stepping on the toes of
the entrenched powers-that-be with their advertising campaigns.
> Where are these people getting their funding?
Apparently from them same sources as the other eco-nazis. They have close
ties to Friends of the Earth, Rainforest Action Network, and other
eco-fundamentalist organizations.
They are apparently well-funded. Turning Point Project has, by the
references I've been able to dredge up, been spending in excess of $1.5
Million per year on advertising alone and has been spending hundreds of
thousands of dollars in other venues. They certainly are not cash poor
and have a non-negligible operating budget.
-James Rogers
jamesr@best.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 15:30:38 MST