[extropy-chat] Extropy, Political Viewpoint and the Future of ExI's List

[Mike Lorrey]

--- "nvitamore at austin.rr.com" <nvitamore at austin.rr.com> wrote:

> From: Samantha 
> 
> >Hey, I am a "crazed futurist" and I believe you are too! 
> 
> Yes and proud of it! :-)
> 
> > The cutting  
> >edge is never "mainstream".  That is not its nature. 
> 
> Wooha - wait a minute. We are frequently discussed in the mainstream,
> like it or not. I usually do at least one mainstream interview a
month
> and or tv/film interview. (Actually, the mainstream may not like us.)
> The point is that the mainstream is not as ill-informed as it once
> was.

True, but only because they've learned that we cutting edge wierdos
need to have an eye kept on us, lest we upset the techno-economic
status quo again.

> 
> >  To attempt to  
> >make it so merely dulls the edge and removes its original importance
> >and compromises its message.   In order to become a real memetic  
> >force the memetic message needs to be fully developed, powerful,  
> >inspiring and unique relative to dominant mainstream voices.   
> >Attempting to be more mainstream per se is suicidal to fully  
> >developing an authentic and unique voice that changes the mainstream
> >by inspiring rather than by attempting to blend in.
> 
> Come back Samantha ... - you are going a bit too far off into
> blandville for me.

Using focus-group-speak is the problem in this regard.

> 
> >Exactly what are you calling "outlandish political positioning"?   
> 
> I wasn't referring to any people that were on this list who are
> missed.  

I think the powers that be need to have their bonnets bustled a bit by
outlandish political positioning every now and again. Hakim Bey's
crypto-anarchism did so much to rustle up the hornets at the FBI and
NSA that many more people today are taking the threat of statist
tyranny much more seriously, as did Max' own writings.

> 
> >Such words can be deeply troubling to many here and who were once  
> >here and are sorely missed.
> 
> Outlandish political positioning relates to the idea--the very
> idea--that politics is of more importance than Extropy. 
> That to me, my dear, is ridiculous. Extropy is about more than any
> narrow or wide ideological vein
> that usually runs hot and red and separates intelligent and creative
> thinkers by pitting them against each other. 

"You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you", as
Trotsky said. You may think extropy is not interested in politics, but
it is evident from both Kass, Kaczinski, Kesey, Mander, and Rifkin,
among others, that politics is very interested and concerned about
extropy, and transhumanism in general.

> 
> What is extropy!? The extent of a system's intelligence, information,
> energy, life, experience, diversity, opportunity, and growth!  Let's
> hear it roar!!  GROWTH! ENERGY! DIVERSITY! OPPORTUNITY! INTELLIGENCE!

> LIFE!

"So sayeth the shepherd! SO SAYETH THE LORD!" - Porky's Revenge

I liked BEST DO IT SO, myself, but that is now heresy, last I heard...
who says extropy isn't interested in politics?

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
Founder, Constitution Park Foundation:
http://constitutionpark.blogspot.com
Personal/political blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com


		
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