From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Sun Jun 02 2002 - 11:29:17 MDT
The reasons for the technical and commercial world dominance by
Europeans starting in the 15th century are becoming clearer to
historians and sociologists. The best starting place for such
inquires is "Germs, Guns, and Steel" by Jared Diamond.
What ought to be done by those with the ability and the power?
(Read: a singularity-nexus will be in exactly this position.)
Thanks to Olga for posting the whole poem, "The White Man's
Burden". Some parts of it struck disquieting chords:
> Take up the White Man's burden--
> The savage wars of peace--
> Fill full the mouth of Famine,
> And bid the sickness cease;
This reminds me the noble yet patronizing urge to extend
a helping hand to the "less fortunate". As I said earlier
about "minding your own business", once a person's stomach is
full, the urge to meddle in other people's affairs becomes
irresistible. But where exactly, or how, to draw the line
between true charity that actually improves the lot of life
in the universe, and that which only makes the giver feel
good and incidentally extends his power?
I think that this is an incredibly difficult question, and
I sure don't have a clear idea how to get answers. But
whatever "advice" we give, note that it should apply equally
well to Kipling and his British friends as it would to an
advancing wave front of a technically superior civilization
that reaches Earth. And, more ominously and far more likely,
to our own home grown Singularity.
Lee
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-extropians@extropy.org
> [mailto:owner-extropians@extropy.org]On Behalf Of Olga Bourlin
> Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2002 8:54 AM
> To: extropians@extropy.org
> Subject: Re: ethnocentrism and extropianism?
>
> That was a great example, Damien. That particular Kipling poem was one of
> the main literary examples featured in a tome of a book I read a few years
> ago entitled: "The Arrogance of Faith" by Forrest G. Wood. The lines that
> etched themselves into my brain were: "Half devil and half child." Wow,
> what an incredibly arrogant perspective. For those who may be interested,
> I've reproduced the entire poem below. Read it and weep.
>
> Take up the White Man's burden--
> Send forth the best ye breed--
> Go, bind your sons to exile
> To serve your captive's need;
> To wait, in heavy harness,
> On fluttered folk and wild--
> Your new-caught sullen peoples,
> Half devil and half child.
>
> Take up the White Man's burden--
> In patience to abide,
> To veil the threat of terror
> And check the show of pride;
> By open speech and simple,
> An hundred times made plain,
> To seek another's profit
> And work another's gain.
>
> Take up the White Man's burden--
> The savage wars of peace--
> Fill full the mouth of Famine,
> And bid the sickness cease;
> And when your goal is nearest
> (The end for others sought)
> Watch sloth and heathen folly
> Bring all your hopes to nought.
>
> Take up the White Man's burden--
> No iron rule of kings,
> But toil of serf and sweeper--
> The tale of common things.
> The ports ye shall not enter,
> The roads ye shall not tread,
> Go, make them with your living
> And mark them with your dead.
>
> Take up the White Man's burden,
> And reap his old reward--
> The blame of those ye better
> The hate of those ye guard--
> The cry of those ye humor
> (Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--
> "Why brought ye us from bondage,
> Our loved Egyptian night?"
>
> Take up the White Man's burden--
> Ye dare not stoop to less--
> Nor call too loud on Freedom
> To cloak your weariness.
> By all ye will or whisper,
> By all ye leave or do,
> The silent sullen peoples
> Shall weigh your God and you.
>
> Take up the White Man's burden!
> Have done with childish days--
> The lightly-proffered laurel,
> The easy ungrudged praise:
> Comes now, to search your manhood
> Through all the thankless years,
> Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
> The judgment of your peers.
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