From: Abraham Moses Genen (futurist@frontiernet.net)
Date: Fri Jul 04 1997 - 06:41:45 MDT
Abraham Moses Genen
Being concerned with the future progress of humankind
should be the prime concern of all civilized beings.
----------
From: Michael M. Butler <butler@comp*lib.org>
To: extropians@extropy.org
Subject: Respect for one's fellow (wo)man (was Re: Hooray for the
10thAmendment ???)
Date: Friday, July 04, 1997 12:03 AM
>> This dialogue, although quite enjoyable, seems to be going off on
tangents
>> of the hypothetical extremes. This is not that bad, nor is it that
good.
>
>What tangents? Every argument you have made without substantiation has
>been countered with statistical evidence, which you continue to ignore
>or constest. Is this an admittance of error or merely an aversion to
>confrontation?
Not entirely true. Much of my response was not statistical. Here's more:
I don't consider fundamentals of human behavior to be tangents, but
postulates.
A.M. seems to be interested in developing what seems to ba a Fabian vision
of
well-mannered perfect(able) abstractions. Wow. 6+ billion and counting,
surely
a tall order? Well, not if one makes the proper simplifying assumptions.
It's a bit like the old joke whose punch line goes "assume a spherical
cat..."
Or like Lenin musing aloud to his crowd, "What is to be done?"
NOTE: No, A.M., I am not calling you Lenin. OK?
I'd love to help engender a world where people respect each other more.
I hope, by my agnostic vision of godliness, to make some contribution in
that wise.
But, to quote myself,
>When respect for one's fellow man is strong, arms are an utter non-issue.
>Absent that respect, what remains?
I consider the first sentence true, based on personal experience.
I consider the following question fundamental, not tangential.
There is nothing abstract about a twice-previously-raped career nurse
being
accosted in a parking garage. Nothing *whatsoever*. How _dare_ anyone deny
her the power to stop her assailant?
Sorry, I guess the present day is just an unpleasant hypothetical.
I'm sure glad that nurse is only in my mind.
Let's plan a perfect future world, it's so much nicer, so much realer.
Just like Epcot Center.
And regarding Wellsian technocratic "futurist" central-planning
"exegesis":
Be very suspicious of anyone who tells you "I know what's best for you"--
unless you *are* a child.
MMB
(Happy Independence Day, y'all--use it or lose it)
BOUNCE WARNING: A simple reply to the above address will fail. If you
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Dear Michael and other fellow Extropians,
I guess that for some people the glass will always be half empty.
I'd still like to try to fill the glass with joy.
Enjoy!!!
A.M. Genen
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