From: Sarah Marr (sarah.marr@dial.pipex.com)
Date: Sat Sep 13 1997 - 17:30:07 MDT
At 15:01 13/09/97 -0400, Keith Elis (Hagbard Celine) wrote, replying to
Holly Pearson:
>The pace of change is not a problem to be solved. It is a fact of life
>that human beings should synergize with.
You cannot justify your statement about the nature of the pace of change
simply by saying it a fact of life. Cancer is a fact of life. Death is a
fact of life. Bigotry is a fact of life. They are all problems and I
believe they all need to be solved. I'm not necessarily disagreeing with
you, just asking you for a cogent argument.
>I say speed them up so I can augment my inefficent physical form with
>something more capable.
It seems a little naive to assume that increases in the pace of change, or
even continued change should allow you to do anything at all about your
form. Will you be able to afford it? Will you have access to the
technology? Will you even hear of the developments?
>The future is not a hundred, fifty or even ten years down the road.
Er, pedantic perhaps, but yes it is.
>Well, to get there, we will have to watch as the world we know it is
>entirely turned on its head.
No, for _us_ to get there, we will have to be part of the process of
change. Sit around watching and I suspect you'll be just so much worm
fodder within one hundred years.
>You are insignificant. So am I.
This is not a very Extropian attitude. We may not be owed anything by
anyone but that does not have the corollary of insignificance. And if we
truly desire change, insignificant is one thing we cannot _afford_ to be,
either as individuals or as a group.
>Waste your energy
>trying to fight the facts and you will indeed be dead in five years.
Fact: we're all going to die within an hundred or so years unless we do
something about it. Hmmm... personally, I think some facts are there to be
fought.
>The tools for my survival are on their way.
To people with money, and friends in high places, and influence, of whom
you and I have probably never heard. Unless we do something to involve
ourselves.
>We are, for all practical purposes, equal.
Sorry, but that is completely without any basis. Do I really need to go in
to the relative chances of an American and an Ethiopian getting gene
therapy, or even decent dental treatment?
>No one has any better chance than any other. All your
>money, all your resources may be rendered worthless at the Singularity.
Hmmm. 'And He shall judge them one and all at the great Singularity, when
all shall be equal.' Om.
Sarah
B e a u t y i s o n l y s i n d e e p.
http://www.seraph.org sarah.marr@dial.pipex.com
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