[ExI] A Transhumanist Terrorist Manifesto

[Samantha Atkins]

Dagon Gmail wrote:
> Good
>
> Let's formulate a statement of intent about what transhumanism is and what
> it isn't. Better still, let's classify or group transhumanism into 
> several subcurrents
> such as libertarian transhumanism, social-democratic transhumanism and
> neo-fascist transhumanism. Let's give this TTM ideology a name and 
> let's distance
> ourselves from it, place a fence around it. Treat it like an 
> infection, a disease
> and an unnacceptable ideology.
>
> Create a wiki entry as soon as possible. Throw it out into the open.
>
> But let us please acknowledge that this current of hacker-ist 
> anarchism does
> in fact exist and that any people, if excluded, ostracized, 
> marginalized or alienated
> will in fact use transhuman technologies contrary to any ideal, 
> morality or
> flavor of humanism.

I am a hacker (in the best and original sense of that word) and strongly 
libertarian leaning toward anarcho-capitalism.   But who do you think 
will use transhumanist tech contrary to humanism?  Are you sure humanism 
is something uniform that can't be broken down also?  Are you sure it is 
an unquestionably ideal?
>
> So we all convene here at this "place", at this time and declare 
> transhumanism
> a moral movement that aims to achieve the good for all people, and we 
> deny
> small viking styled nihilists a platform? Are we read to create such a 
> counter-
> manifesto?
>
What is the good for all people and how may it be achieved and is that 
even a meaningful sound bite?   It sounds great enough but in fact some 
of the worst atrocities in history have been committed under the banner 
of "the good for all people".  So I am not so sure it says much.   Most 
transhumanists I am aware of want longevity, perfect health, enhanced 
intelligence, and very much want it to be available to all.    That said 
our  politics and ideas as to means are all over the spectrum. 

> If abundance passes by the world's losers, I won't begrudge the 
> world's losers in
> rebelling and coming after the winners in the game with everything 
> they got.
>
Abundance is not abundance if there is not abundance for all.  However, 
this does not mean everyone has exactly the same amount.   People are 
not equal except in rights.  I very much doubt they ever will be.

> So I advocate creating a counter-manifesto as soon as possible that 
> not only denies
> fascism or nihilism or viking style aggressive egocentrism - but also 
> says LOUDLY that
> being part of transhumanism means sharing accumulated abundance 
> equitable with
> those who didn't get a fair hand in the global struggle.
>
I am an individualist,  very much so... Would you exclude me?   I don't 
agree that equitable sharing is even reasonably definable much less the 
holy grail.  I don't agree with any concept such as "a fair hand".   
Reality is not "fair" in such a sense.

> If we don't "we" are hypocrites and cowards and the author of TTM wins.
You seem to be nearly ranting yourself.   Take a breath.
>
>
> On 5/14/07, *Richard Loosemore* <rpwl at lightlink.com 
> <mailto:rpwl at lightlink.com>> wrote:
>
>
>     People,
>
>     I don't think anyone is taking this seriously enough.
>
>     It is not a matter of *whether* this 'manifesto' will be taken as
>     representative of what transhumanists believe, it is a question of
>     *when* some media outlet picks it up and brands the entire
>     transhumanist
>       movement as a terrorist group.  That is what media outlets
>     do:  their
>     job is extremist portrayals.  Now that kevine.osborne has done
>     this, it
>     will sit there as a ticking bomb.
>
>     I see two choices.  One is to repudiate the thing strongly enough to
>     expunge it from the record.  If necessary, shut down the list
>     completely
>     and reconstitute under a new name.  It is not enough to say "I
>     personally repudiate this".  It has to be expunged in such a thorough
>     way that this group of people are seen to have taken the most drastic
>     action possible to dissociate themselves from it.
>

What shut down every time someone writes something misguided?   Great!  
We can be silenced at any time by one post.  I am sure our actual 
enemies would love that.   I think some of us are getting tremendously 
overwrought by one overwrought set of remarks.  I expect better of us.
>
>
>     The other is to do nothing and just say "we disagree with
>     this".  Then
>     it is just a matter of time before it blows up in your face.
>
How so?  I see no basis for concluding any such thing.

>     Although I have been in this field for a long time, and am a
>     significant
>     participant on other lists, I have only recently joined the extropians
>     list itself.  If the drastic rejection of this manifesto I suggested
>     above does not take place within a very short time, I am out of
>     here.  I
>     will not be associated in any way with an organization that tolerates
>     this kind of declaration to stay on the record.
>
Whatever.  If you want to be so thin skinned and authoritarian that 
unless others kowtow to your opinion you stomp off then be my guest. 

- samantha