From: Scott Badger (wbadger@psyberlink.net)
Date: Wed Jul 01 1998 - 09:44:38 MDT
To mark@unicorn.com :
Trying to avoid the targets of crazies with mass destruction capabilities
makes no sense to me. Where exactly would you predict crazies are going to
strike? They're CRAZY! You'd end up turning into an agoraphobic. Leave the
Earth? Temporary solution at best for a long-lived organism.
I understand that we should all be concerned with our own welfare. But your
"So what?" attitude is still a bit disconcerting. Perhaps I'm misreading,
but it sounds like you're saying, "Just don't be one of the unfortunate
ones. You can't stop crazies so don't even try. Save your own butt." I hope
this is not a common perspective among extropians. I don't conceive of
Transhumanism as being about ME transcending MY limits, but about US
transcending OUR limits. Your solution hardly reflects any humane concern
for the safety or welfare of innocent others, perhaps less enlightened or
informed. If we had some ideas about how to minimize the danger, wouldn't
we be ethically obliged to do something about it instead of just stock up on
groceries and such? This subject obviously carries into the ethics string,
so I'll let it be. I agree with Anders in that the problem is real and will
require substantial attention because so much will be at stake. Wouldn't
the principle of dynamic optimism suggest that we take a more productive
approach to the problem than *avoidance*?
S.B.
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