[extropy-chat] Europe vs America (was Depressing thought....)

[Giu1i0 Pri5c0]

I definitely do not want to say to the weak "find a way to make yourself
useful or die" because it is a disgusting thing to say to a conscious being.
I know many "weak" people who would not make it in the hypercompetitive
society that you seem to advocate, do not play power games, do not force
their alpha-machism on everyone, do not impose their opinion on you, yet if
you listen to them you find that they have very valuable things to say,
perhaps much more valuable than yesterday's or today's winner. They are kind
to children, to animals, to elders, respect others, ... they just have a
slower chemistry in their bodies and brains, nothing that tomorrow's tech
cannot fix. What the fuck do you want to do with them, leave them to die on
the street? Shoot them? Really now.
My depressing thought of the day is that we believe that we have advanced
from animal conditions, and plan to advance even more toward a posthuman
future, yet in social and political debate we do not seem to have advanced
much.

> Here's my current view of things: Liberty and responsability directly
> correlate with collective prosperity through creative competition. If
> you are not sure you want to say to the weak: "find a way to make
> yourself useful or die", and to the strong: "you're welcome to become
> a half-god by accumulating wealth", because you value equality, and
> the support of the weak, you can do it, but it will lower collective
> prosperity. Even in France, there are many people who work very hard
> the whole day only to sustain themselves. I find it reasonable to be
> appalled at it.