From: Alex F. Bokov (alexboko@umich.edu)
Date: Wed Aug 01 2001 - 10:06:35 MDT
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Ugh. Yeah, pretty mean stuff. It made me crack up a few times, but I
hated myself for it each time.
I'm finally seeing a pattern to this
1. Somebody comes onto the list, and happens to voice a concern or
opinion that happens to coincide on one or two memes with something
that people here associate with a leftist party line.
2. There is immediately a flurry of retorts that are very convincing
to the choir, but to a newcomer it sounds just like the callous
propaganda ve associates with the right-wing party line.
3. Newcomer and a some allies retreat into the traditional responses
to these tirades, and the whole thing degenerates into another
left/right debate disguised as a statist/libertarian debate. Newcomer
comes to the erroneous conclusion that transhumanism is a rigid,
right-wing scene.
How do we remedy this?
* Above all, let's recognize what we all have in common-- reliance on
rational thought, a fascination with science and technology, and a
conviction that they will redefine our lives and our reality... for
the better. All other issues are secondary to that. Even the wrongest
list regular probably still 'gets it' more than your typical
phone-psychic user... or your typical elected official for that
matter.
* Perhaps the reason there is so much backlash against concerns over
discrimination and economic inequality is that Libertarian thinkers
have been asleep on the job. We're letting the Democrats and
Socialists own human rights and anytime somebody raises a legitimate
concern, we respond to them as if they have already shown themselves
to be a PC meme-bot. That's called doing volunteer recruitment for the
bad guys! I'd say that anybody who choses to subscribe to this list
should be assumed to be a freethinker until they show otherwise (not
necesserily your particular kind of freethinker, but one nonetheless).
* Those who do have liberal/statist leanings are not blameless
either. Some of the most virulent opposition to technology is coming
from the radical left. Why is it that every environmental and
civil-rights activist I run into has the same ignorant, simplistic
view of science, progress, and economics? I think if we heard less
"math is Eurocentric" and "I don't trust Western Medicine" bullshit,
we wouldn't be treated to that Fred Reed rant. In short, if you choose
to place yourself in the liberal/statist camp, be extra careful to
distinguish yourself from the nihilistic Luddites in the tent next to
you.
On Wed, 1 Aug 2001, Olga Bourlin wrote:
> Emlyn O'Regan wrote:
>
> > I suppose you are going to attempt to justify this post by calling it
> > satire? Bollocks to that, in advance.
>
> Thank you for speaking out, Emlyn!
>
> I searched out a few other Fred Reed articles, and he's a joke (in the worst
> sense). Fred Reed does not write satire (the concept seems too subtle for
> him) ... at bottom, he's serious as a heart attack about his beliefs
> (although J.R. Molloy may have meant it as satire ... I'm beginning not to
> be surprised at such things on this list, unfortunately).
>
> Olga
>
>
- --
CIA Koresh Mossad
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