From: Dan Clemmensen (Dan@Clemmensen.ShireNet.com)
Date: Sun Jul 05 1998 - 09:37:21 MDT
den Otter wrote:
>
> ==============
>
> Some key points are:
> --Image may be important, but ultimately what counts is survival
> and flourishing. The actual goals should not be compromised too
> much for PR reasons (this reminds me of the story of the three pigs
> and the big bad wolf; pigs one and two don't take the Coming of the
> Wolf (Singularity/Y2K/WW3 etc) too seriously, and make their houses
> of bad materials. The wise survivalist pig takes a lot more trouble
> to build a solid house, and doesn't give in to peer pressure from
> the other pigs, that scoff at his work. Of course we all know what
> happens afterwards... ;-)
>
The story has always been badly misinterpreted. If the first two
pigs had been effective in turning away the wolf, the third pig
would not have had time to complete his house and the wolf
would have plucked him kicking and screaming from his half-built
house.
To stretch analogy far past its breaking point, we really need
society as a whole to keep on about its business while the
futurists work out how to make the transition to the posthuman
condition. In return for the service of maintaining society,
the futurists should try to help the remainder of humanity to
make the transition, not scoff at them as a bunch of clueless losers.
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