From: den Otter (otter@globalxs.nl)
Date: Thu Aug 07 1997 - 18:23:48 MDT
----------
In response to Philip Witham's writings
Well put! I agree with just about everything, so I snipped it to save
bandwidth(or is this bull?) It would be great to make a new nation
that's based on transhumanistic ideas, the advantages would be enormous.
The sooner, the better! [see also "An Extropian Nation??!",
posted on 6/18/'97]
Some minor points of criticism:
>
> Few or no fixed points to the constitution, all is up for change by
> direct voting of citizens: anything else implys that a few "founders"
> have the right to more control than everybody else.
>
If this is acceptable to newcomers, why not? A society is a bit like a
private club, and it would be only natural that the founders (by definition
above-average people) have the right to determine the rules, or at least
have the final word in decision making. If someone finds this unacceptable,
he simply finds himself another club, or starts his own.
Having said this, I must quickly add that I agree that in fact generally
accepted values should rule instead of people. Maybe computers, programmed
with these values, specified in laws, should do most
of the everyday governing, especially where judicial matters are concerned.
The advantages are enormous (consequent, unbiased,
cheap etc). The (immortal!) "founding fathers" could be part of a
"constitutional committee" (supreme court?) which monitors the
computers and society in general to make sure that at least the core
values of that society (as agreed upon by all) are not corrupted (for ex
by infiltrators of rival societies, who in theory at least could out-vote
the "honest" inhabitants and thus democratically and legally destroy
the new nation. Think Germany, 30's...)
> Jointly writing such a constitution would be a fun project - off line
from
> this group (about as much fun as a massive blood clot, if done on this
> mailing list).
>
Sounds like a good start! :)
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