[extropy-chat] Tyranny in place

[Brent Neal]

On Oct 2, 2006, at 21:48, Joseph Bloch wrote:

> You are allowing your hatred of the current administration to blind  
> you
> to the force which really wants to destroy the Western way of life.  
> What
> do you think would be more conducive to seeing the Transhumanist  
> vision
> come to fulfillment? A Taliban-like state imposed over all the peoples
> of the world? Or a stridently pro-business Western democracy?

I think the point that is being made here is that you are letting  
your love of the current administration blind you to the force that  
really wants to destroy the Western way of life; that is, an out of  
control right-wing administration bent on destroying the rule of law  
and our civil liberties in the name of political gain and Christian  
fundamentalism, amongst other things.  If what the current government  
was working toward was, as you say, a "pro-business Western  
democracy," then I think most of us wouldn't be as up in arms as we are.

I don't think that anyone alive is smart enough to predict the exact  
path to Singularity, but I'll place a large wager that the anti- 
rationalism of religious fundamentalism and dictatorial rule are not  
on the high-probability paths. Given thatI personally see no real  
difference between insanity of Islamic fundamentalism and the  
insanity of Christian fundamentalism.  You do, apparently, and on  
that we'll have to disagree.

B

--
Brent Neal
Geek of all Trades
http://brentn.freeshell.org

"Specialization is for insects" -- Robert A. Heinlein