From: Michael S. Lorrey (retroman@together.net)
Date: Fri Jan 15 1999 - 10:38:57 MST
Terry Donaghe wrote:
> Ok, so I'm really bored this morning - SUE ME!
As I assume that this is mainly directed at me, I'll try to respond. I think its a pretty funny bit, but it is close
enough to home that I can't fail to respond as if its a logical argument. - ML
> *******************************************
> The Extropian Redneck:
>
> The Redneck Application of the 7 Principles of Extropianism:
>
> 1. Perpetual Progress - "I want to kill more deer. To do so, I will
> become a smarter hunter - ever increasing my deer hunting skills. If
> I live indefinitely, the number of deer I kill will increase. I will
> seek to remove all obstacles standing in the way of killing more deer
> - be they political, cultural, biological or psychological."
You automatically assume that I find utility in killing MORE deer per unit of time. This is an unjustified and untrue
assumption. I may seek to increase my deer hunting skills by making it more difficult for me to kill a deer, say
eventually I may only do so with bare hands, or that I must kill from beyond 1000 yards, or be within 10 yards, etc.,
which would obviously reduce my overall deer kill rate.
>
> 2. Self-Transformation - "I also want to drink more beer. I affirm
> that I will direct my entire being to transform myself into a more
> efficient beer-drinking person. Through critical and creative
> thinking I will become a better beer drinker. I will explore
> biological and neurological augmentations that will allow me to
> consume ever-greater quantities of beer."
You again assume that the unit of improvement is quantity. I actually prefer microbrewed beer, for the taste. I tend to
drink less these days than in my Coors and Miller funnel chugging frat boy days in college....
Try to imagine that you are talking about a Californian instead of a redneck:
2. Self-Transformation - "I also want to drink more wine. I affirm
that I will direct my entire being to transform myself into a more
efficient wine-drinking person. Through critical and creative
thinking I will become a better wine drinker. I will explore
biological and neurological augmentations that will allow me to
consume ever-greater quantities of wine."
This is obviously inaccurate, as the goal will be to be a more discriminating and capable wine connesseur, the goal of
which would be to drink BETTER wine, and have better taste in wine.
>
>
> 3. Practical Optimism - "Life is great. I know I will continue to
> have more and more opportunities to drink beer and kill deer."
As far as the utility value of each permits... yes
> 4. Intelligent Technology - "There must be some way to applice science
> and technology to enable me to consume more beer and kill ever greater
> numbers of deer. Perhaps a new laser equipped, satellite enhanced
> site for my rifle, neuro-implants to sharpen my vision, and a
> mouth-widening operation to allow me to drink two bottles of beer at
> the same time. I refuse to see technology as an ends to itself, but
> more as an enabler to allow me to further my redneck goals."
excellent.... ;)
> 5. Open Society - "I support social orders that promote freedom of
> rifle ownership and deer hunting. I oppose authoritarian social
> controls which ban the drinking of beer, even on Sunday. I prefer
> bargaining over battling, exchange over compulsion, and serious
> hunting over spotlighting."
> 6. Self-Direction - "The woods over over yonder, my rifle is right
> here and the cooler's in the truck! All set!"
> 7. Rational Thinking - "I know that without hunting, the population of
> deer will skyrocket, and while large numbers of deer make for a target
> rich environment, too many deer will cause starvation which may lead
> to extinction of deer population in certain areas, perhaps including
> the Skunky Bark Huntin' Camp. The more accurate my rifle site is, the
> better shot I will become, thus increasing my hit to miss ratio. Beer
> frees the mind from worrying about the wife, twelve kids, six dogs,
> leaking roof, the Trans Am on blocks in front of the trailer, and my
> current lack of employment. Budweiser is indeed, the king of beers."
This is all very funny. I love it. I think I'll post it up at my hunting cabin (called the Steel Gate Camp).
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