[extropy-chat] Bush wants another $75 billion for wars

[Sean Diggins]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Al Brooks
Sent: Friday, 29 October 2004 11:39 AM
To: ExI chat list
Subject: RE: [extropy-chat] Bush wants another $75 billion for wars

Forget Bush for now, the monk was right. 
You don't seriously want to be a neo-Marxist at the
age of 44, do you? It's all based on rope-a-dope,
tricking men (or boys) into being troubadors. Sean,
Marxism is a particularly bad religion, not good
politics-- take it from someone who knows.

------------------------------

I understand and accept this. I dont even regard myself as neo-marxist. How
about if I promise to never use the term "ruling class" on this list again?
Will that free me from you guys seeing me as an agitprop ridden commie? 
As I have said before, my main issue is with finding a NEW system, hopefully
catalysed by The Spike.
I'm keen to discuss how that might occur, whether people here feel it might
occur, what form it might take etc.

Forget about "bad religion" or "not good politics" as you suggest - my case
is that egalitarian outcomes ARE desirable and I'm yet to hear why they are
not. Now, I don't mean this is the strict marxist sense. I mean it in the
sense that the existing political, economic and scoial systems should (and
can) change for the better through the advances in technology offered by The
Spike, with the result being a reudction of the great and widening divide
between the wealthy and the poor.

Mike wants to help those less well off in this world. He wants it done
ethically. I couldn't agree more. It is a different way of saying exactly
the same thing I'm saying, except Mike would (presumably) strongly oppose
anything which might be termed "re-distribution of wealth", as it would
possibly involve the wealthy people not only making concessions, but
relinquishing some of their wealth and power.

My point is this - the new technologies should be able to do this without
force, without any relinquishing. Therefore, there really is an opportunity
for major political/economic/social progress to emerge during/post Spike.
Marx is rendered irrelevant. But likewise, the role of the capitalists
should also change. This is what I want to discuss.

Sean