[extropy-chat] Casimir Torque Project

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Greg Burch <gregburch at gregburch.net> wrote:
> Hey Mike -- this is an email list, not a points-counting club. 

Coulda fooled me. The BBS quite clearly has karma points on each user
by which the irate can browbeat and depersonate those they disagree
with to enforce list orthodoxy and malaise.

You can count one point: the one I'm trying to make that some are
virulently attempting to avoid or deny.

> There
> are lots of people who read the list off and on who've accomplished
> many things on the scale you've pointed to, me among them. 

You I would count in the handful of doers, and you know I always have.

> There are
> plenty of others here who've done just as much or more. 

There are some who've done as much.

> It's true
> there's often an inverse proportion between activity in the "real
> world" and posting on the list here.  But that doesn't mean folks
> aren't still thinking about the issues we consider vital and, when
> the opportunity presents itself, moving things along a little bit at
> a time ...

There is a distinct difference between moving things along and holding
things back, downplaying things, cynically denigrating things. There is
a pernicious virus of cynicism, negativity, and armchair quarterbacking
going on on this list which is highly unextropic.

Adrian got started on his project partly to prove me wrong, to prove
that this list isn't full of do nothings by being one person who is
doing something. Unfortunately, he has proven me right at least as much
given the number of people who immediately came out with posts denying,
contesting, challenging, or denouncing Adrian and his project. His
project is separating the wheat from the chaff on this list.

What he is showing is that there is a distinct difference between the
statements "this list is full of do nothings" and "this list is 100% do
nothings". The second he has proven false. The first remains to be
seen. I for one remain dynamically optimistic, despite evidence to the
contrary. Call it an unfounded faith in humanity.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com


		
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