From: Terry Donaghe (tdonaghe@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 30 1999 - 06:20:55 MDT
--- Joao Pedro Magalhaes <jpnitya@esoterica.pt> wrote:
> I'm just a transhumanist, not an extropian. If I
> recall reading the
> principles (a long time ago), extropianism is
> transhumanism plus all the
> libertarian ideals -- I think it was called
> spontaneous order back then,
> now you call it open society.
>
> I'm sure you'll agree that certain "alternative
> inputs" need to be
> suppressed by the government. For example, children
> can be removed from
> their parents if they are violent to them because
> violence is considered a
> "bad" thing -- and yet History shows us that violent
> behaviors were the
> most successful throughout most of human existence.
> Diversity is good but
> there must always be some ideas society discards
> with the support of the
> government and the use of force; I simply draw the
> line a bit more
> radically than you. Another example, what do you
> think about teaching
> Satanism and Nazi ideals to young children (I assume
> you disagree, but do
> you think it should be forbidden by law)?
I think parents should have the right to teach their children anything
that they wish. The only "line" that should be drawn is that of
violence. Neighbors, family, or as the last resort, the government
should remove children from abusive parents.
If parents wish to teach their children to hate their fellow humans,
they will simpy raise children who will be unable to compete
succesfully in the world. That's fewer adults for my son to compete
with in the workplace when he gets out of college. As long as my son
can retain the right to defend himself from satanists and nazis, I
don't have a problem with parents doing such silly stuff.
Besides, humans are very resilient and when the children of satanists
or nazis enter into the real world, they will probably quickly realize
that their belief systems hinder their interactions with others. They
will either change their belief systems (a lot of us Extropians used to
be socialist christians - I was), or they will spend the rest of their
days drinking beer at the trailer park railing against god or "the man"
or whatever.
Thank you for giving all of us Extropians an excellent reminder of why
we're Extropians and not simply transhumanists.
===
Terry Donaghe: terry@donaghe.com
http://www.donaghe.com
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." --Samuel Adams
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