From: Edmund Grech (edmund@arclightentertainment.co.uk)
Date: Thu May 30 2002 - 04:22:55 MDT
Harvey Wrote:
>We are not the only group that has the problem with people trying to
>promote racism from within. A half dozen other transhumanist lists >on
Yahoo are fighting this same battle. A transhumanist webring was
>desolved a few years ago when racist sites kept joining and insisting
>that they were extropian or transhumanist. The World >Transhumanist
Association is also fighting this perception, and has >had to vote specific
disclaimers against racism a few months ago to >fend of this meme. This is
not an isolated occurrence. All >Transhumanist groups seem to be under
similar meme-attack.
I think there is a productive way in which to solve this. The Extropian
Principles by thier very nature allow free thought and expression of ideas,
which unfortunately will include topics deemed unsavoury and inappropriate,
but can not be directly challenged unless overtly hostile or rude.
The solution may be to concrete the priciples in a specific political
mandate. To draw up an Extropian Bill of Rights if you like. A process which
can then be taken further to include political goals both short term and
long. You could then vet people with respect to those who don't subscribe to
Extropian political thinking. This task, if developed through the membership
would be highly beneficial to the movement and to its subscribers who can
debate what applied Extropianism should be, and means to each of us today.
Additionally nothing spreads memes as fast as politics, and they are
irrefutable; if article two says that there will be no discrimination based
on creed, colour, race, or gender, thier is no need to modify the
priniciples underpinning it to curtail free speech.
I think this would be a strong way forward.
Edmund
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