[extropy-chat] Freedom and Practicality

[Samantha Atkins]

On May 28, 2006, at 7:05 AM, Lee Corbin wrote:

>
>>
>> Why live your live or advocate running others lives based on such  
>> fears?
>
> Because millions of deaths is something to avoid?


If live becomes largely focused only about avoiding certain forms of  
death is it still worth living?  If every move, every activity, maybe  
every thought has to be scrutinized by others to "fight terrorism"  
would that be worth living?  Would our works to radically change what  
is possible in reality be considered "terrorism"?

>
>>>> How would you watch if you don't know what you are looking for?
>>>> If you do know then there are other means of more or less just-
>>>> in-time detection.
>>>
>>> That sounds just fine to me.
>>
>> But you can't know what you are looking for completely, can you?
>
> At the present time, yes.  You look for bio-tech capability, nerve
> gas preparation facilities, and plutonium or highly-enriched uranium.

Bio-tech capability is far too broad.   Also what about things like  
ricin?  Not that difficult to whip up I hear.  Possible threats are  
endless.  You cannot stop all such even with a total police state.

>
>> I will take my chances with the terrorists over total government lock
>> down.
>
> Your feelings and intuitions are just human, and will be driven
> by your own prudence. Just how much damage---feelings aside---
> have the police or the government done to you lately?  How much
> damage have terrorists?

That would be a very long direct and indirect list.  The last time I  
checked we are all human on this list.


>
> After a few cities have gone up, your feelings will change, as I
> say. If it were to be, heaven forbid, dozens and dozens of cities,
> then you will change your tune.

Stop telling me what I would do.


> But you swear that you will not.
> Even if San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Fresno,
> Long Beach, Santa Clara, and several other cities have been
> destroyed---even then you'll cling to ancient loyalties, and
> fear government in the abstract much more than the possibility
> that San Jose could be next?
>

It is not in the least "abstract".

- samantha