[extropy-chat] 'a process of non-thinking called faith' 2 (2)

[Samantha Atkins]

On Nov 17, 2006, at 4:14 PM, kevinfreels.com wrote:

> Amen brother Robert. I am completely with you there. Unfortunately  
> "we" only have limited power to solve these problems. Most people  
> don't have the stomach to do what needs to be done. That can be seen  
> in Iraq.

Yes.  Most don't have the stomach to admit we had no legitimate reason  
to invade Iraq, had no idea of what we were getting into and have no  
business remaining there.   Most haven't the stomach to apologize  
profusely, pay some reparations and ask the UN to clean up the mess to  
the extent it can be cleaned up.

Robert wrote:
> P
> What is surprising is that we debate endlessly day in and day out  
> what happens after nanotechnology arrives and we all upload or the  
> fine points of what it means to be an individual and it seems we  
> place little value on thousands to millions of lives being lost due  
> to the actions of a few we choose to ignore ( e.g. Sudan president  
> Omar Al-Bashir).
>

> It makes me wonder if "we" deserve to be uploaded.  I for one would  
> view the rationalization as difficult.  If we cannot make good  
> judgements now, how can we be expected to make them in the future?
>

I do not see why it follows that I personally or the US or some other  
group has to become involved in every nasty conflict on the face of  
the earth.  I certainly don't see why our doing so or not determines  
if we are deserving of being uploaded.   I also doubt very much based  
on the evidence of our past and current engagements that "we" are at  
all intelligent and wise enough to actually fix much in such  
conflicts.   To the extent this is so working to raise intelligence  
levels is more important to actually making a difference than many  
types of intervention would be.

- samantha
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