[extropy-chat] Redneck Transhumanists

[Samantha Atkins]

On Jul 3, 2004, at 8:27 AM, Olga Bourlin wrote:
>
> It wasn't recent, but I've made my views about the use of the term
> "rednecks" before.  Many people here pooh-poohed me.  But I'll say it 
> again,
> for the record.  I find the term "redneck" both racist and abhorrently
> classist (not to mention "jobist").  In my library I have a book from 
> the
> early 1941s filled with jokes about Asians, blacks,  Jews, etc. - each 
> group
> getting its very own chapter of jokes.  Ugly stuff, but not unlike the 
> jokes
> about "rednecks" here.
>

Well, the way I use the term has nothing to do with race.  I've known 
folks I consider redneck of all races.   Nor does it have to do per se 
with "class".  I've known people of all socioeconomic classes who the 
term fits imho.  I have no idea why I should consider a term like 
"jobist" to be utterly devoid of meaning.  Rednecks have been 
encountered with and without jobs and sometimes encountered in pretty 
high-powered jobs.  You see, to me redneck is more of an attitude and 
worldview than anything else.   What I call a redneck is someone who is 
very intolerant of most most people much different from his or herself, 
is xenophobic to the extreme, determined to be the way they consider 
"right" self-righteously regardless of just how "not right" their 
positioning is, is not open to reason and so on.

I can see where a lot of stuff is wrapped up in redneck that is 
problematic and how it can be and is used to mark the "other" rigidly.  
  But it isn't the way I use it usually except when joking around.

> One of the meanings of "transhumanism" is that it's a "philosophy ...
> favoring the use of  certain technologies to improve the human 
> condition
> beyond the constraints of biological evolution."  IMHO we can do a lot 
> to
> improve the human condition now by resisting making fun of a certain 
> class
> and "race" of people.
>
>

I agree with the sentiment although again I don't believe "redneck" 
refers to class or race.

- samantha