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

[MB]

Samantha writes:
> If the republic (NOT democracy) is functional and working there there is
> no such ability to change those laws if the people and their
> representatives are at all awake and the checks and balances are still
> reasonably in working order.  Of course we have largely forgotten and
> been made to forget what the machinery was supposed to be for.  But that
> is not the fault in mere differences in power, intelligence, wealth and
> so on.
>
>
>
MB wrote:
>> After all, we're
>> just coming out of a Jim Crow era. AFAIK we could easily slide back into some
>> version of it.
>>

Samantha writes:
> I don't see where that has a lot to do with differences of ability or
> wealth or education.  What do you have in mind?
>

The only danger that I see is if "elites" and everybody else separate enough to kill
the republic. There's certainly a common lack of understanding about what kind of
government the US actually is supposed to have - as you point out with "NOT
democracy". Destruction could actually happen from either end, but I'd suspect
rich/educated/powerful would be in a better position to adjust/interpret the laws to
their liking - after all, everybody else might be considered "lesser animals" and
not matter.

Haven't we had discussions here about hoi polloi somehow interfering with or doing
away with the transhumanists? This would just be the other side of that coin.

As I see it, there's still got to be room for both. That's why I present
transhumanism in such a low-key way to the folks I know... utilizing things they
already accept and marvelling at new possibilities.

Maybe it's different if you live in the big city. I live in the backwoods Bible Belt.

Regards,
MB