[extropy-chat] Extropic Freedom and the Fate of Dissidents

[The Avantguardian]

     I am writing this because I had noticed that the
list has been rather tame lately with respect to
heated political debate. In trying to put my finger on
exactly why this normally lively list had seemed sort
of flat lately, I noticed that I had seen a post by
Mike Lorrey in some time. Now I don't Mike personally,
and in many respects he is a carmudgeon and a gadfly,
I also know that he is very bright and opinionated.
While I myself am a liberal (I live in California and
so socialism is in air I breath and the water I
drink.) and disagree with Mike on many issues, I also
FOR THIS VERY REASON value Mike's input. Without
somebody to disagree with you, to challenge your
beliefs and opinions, you stand the risk of falling
into the delusion of believing that your own opinions
(and when we speak of politics that is all there are -
opinions) are true, flawless, and consistent.

Well as we all know, Mike is a controversial figure in
many respects, going so far as to challenge the SCOTUS
on issues of imminent domain and such. With the scent
of fascism in the air, here in the U.S., I naturally
worried that Mike had gotten in some sort of trouble
and had been arrested or what not. So I emailed him to
ascertain his fate.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered he had been
booted from the list by none other than Natasha. So in
the interest of justice and the Extropic principles of
freedom and self-expression, I ask that someone here
in authority (how can you have AUTHORITY whilst being
apolitical?) explain to me the justification for
exiling one of the most opinionated and interesting
posters from this list?

To claim to be apolitical and then turning around and
heavy-handedly booting someone from the list for
challenging that notion seems ironic to say the least
but that is not my chief complaint. I am not
questioning the RIGHT of the Keepers of the List to
boot anybody they want to (including myself) from the
list for whatever reason they want. What I am
questioning is why they did not do it in full public
view with stated reasons, instead of "disappearing"
them in the quiet of the night like insecure
dictators?

Don't get me wrong, I like this list and I respect its
moderators, but I liked it a lot more when there was
heterogeneity of opinion. I for one love my critics
because they give me ideas for continual
self-improvement. 

Extropically Yours,

  

   

The Avantguardian 
is 
Stuart LaForge
alt email: stuart"AT"ucla.edu

"If you fear death, you are not living right; if you don't want to live forever, you are not living well." - a sparrow outside my window.


	
		
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