From: GeoffCobb@aol.com
Date: Tue Mar 25 1997 - 16:00:42 MST
In a message dated 97-03-24 21:25:34 EST, you write:
<<
Bottom line is: transhumanists *are* close to Nazis in the sense of
wanting to create better people. They differ from Nazis in not trying
to achieve this goal by killing off "inferior" people. But Nazis are
such a reviled prototype that simple heuristic case-based inference
(anything too much reminiscint of Nazis must be bad) *does* make many
people reject the whole enterprize.
>>
You are correct that this is an emotional heuristic, quite a knee jerker too.
I understand the connection here, and agree that there is a connection "in
mind"
between transhumanism and eugenics. However, the Nazi comparison is one that
we might want to handle delicately and swiftly. Facism and (conquering)
imperialism both have no place in future politics and do not support economic
freedom nor individual freedom, two very fundamental stepping stones to any
sort of "Politi-Extropica" . Making people better is only *one* very
fundamental aspect of Extropy, and to take what you say one step further, not
only do we oppose 'killing off inferior people', we oppose force of any sort,
even for inferiors, and even "for thier own good".
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