From: hal@finney.org
Date: Thu Sep 14 2000 - 18:45:00 MDT
x writes:
> i did not mean "we" as in "we are borg." however, the discussion
> was about wide-spread power, and i did operate under the expectation that
> some kind of majority attitude would emerge (however diverse the reasons
> for holding these attitudes) and that the majority would have the
> resources to enforce the policies it adopted.
It may be that a majority will succeed at restricting access to space
resources, at least for a while. But as it becomes relatively cheaper
to get a seed system into space the situation seems likely to go unstable
eventually.
> i feel the said scenario
> would have a broadly similar effect upon the attitudes of a variety of
> groups because i see resource scarcity as the most potent force underlying
> social divergence.
I don't know about that last part. Resource scarcity as an engine of
conflict, sure. But as the source of social divergence? I'd suggest
that we see at least as much social diversity among the richest nations
as among the poor (although I suppose the direction of causation could
go in the other direction).
When you're wealthy you have the luxury to indulge your whims and desires.
With modern communications you can find like-minded individuals anywhere
in the world to reinforce your quirkiest beliefs. I can't count the
number of times I've seen people say, "man, I thought I was the only one
who thought/felt this way, until I found this group..." I suspect that
a wealthy future world will have far more diversity and social variation
than we see today.
Hal
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