[extropy-chat] FWD [fantasticreality] Nice Summary of Problems of the self-denoted "Cultural Elites"

[Samantha Atkins]

As transhuman technologies promise large competitive improvements  and
even radical enhancements beyond current human norms I don't see how we
as transhumanism can deplore the splitting off of subgroups with rather
different capabilities and increasing divergent interests.   After all,
not everyone will choose to or be capable of availing themselves of such
possibilities at once.   I think the 'trick' to what made or makes the
US (for instance) great is that we agree to and uphold inalienable
rights for all human beings.   It is not egalitarianism as some
overarching ideal that binds us but equality of fundamental rights that
binds how we treat and may treat one another.  This equality of rights
does not require any rough equality of abilities, wealth, intelligence,
knowledge or interests.   This  is the cornerstone of freedom and
peaceful co-existence. 

- samantha


MB wrote:
>> Well,  it seems to me that we can't both be for diversity, especially
>> the radical diversity of individual freedom, and bemoan differences,
>> even large ones, as dangerous and to be avoided.    We cannot, it seems
>> to me, both have the freedom to augment and change at will and stay true
>> to some homogenized egalitarian ideal.
>>     
>
> Since I've not read that second book I must not answer to its criticisms. What I
> read in The Bell Curve final chapters, about what they saw and were concerned about
> for the future, was that the population was splitting into two distinct groups that
> did not overlap nor did they even have much to do with each other in everyday life.
> And that one group appeared to be getting the upper hand in all ways so that there
> would end up being two populations, one rich and well travelled and politically
> empowered, and the other of everybody else - who would be poor and stuck and
> politically nowhere. The Bell Curve warned against this, saying that one of the
> strengths of the US had always been in the diverse groups of people living all mixed
> up throughout the country: wealthy and poor, smart and not, powerful and not. With
> *no group* powerful enough to squash completely any other.
>