[ExI] Status as human motivator

[Keith Henson]

On Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 8:49 PM, Mike Dougherty <msd001 at gmail.com> wrote:

snip

> I read this thread very differently.  I see it as a committed member
> of one narrow field of interest becoming frustrated at the perceived
> waste of resource towards unimportant goals.

Mike, they are not "unimportant goals" they are utterly stupid
behavior.  Worse than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic while
the water poured into the ship.  Before the economy tanked something
like 42% of "profits" were logged by the financial sector, a sector
that historically had been a small service part of the economy.

snip

> I assume Keith's intent was to "lynch" the misappropriation of money
> that could otherwise solve the critically important problem of energy
> rather than any person employing scientists on Wall Street.

I used the term "hanging offense" and I mean it.  The current
practices of that segment of the economy will ruin the US and any
other country that permits this kind of gambling.  What Goldman Sachs
did (and is still doing) is only a short step from what "Bernie"
Madoff is in jail for.  There needs to be a *serious* overhaul of the
laws to prevent the parasitic playing with paper and calling it
"profits."  Capital needs to be *invested* in productive stuff,
mining, manufacturing, energy utilities, public works and the like.

But, like my opinion of Shockley, it might not make any difference.
If the singularity gets here sooner than then the financial
manipulations ruin the economy we will not starve in the dark.

> Keith's short list of topics (energy, EP)

I have a much wider range of interests such as unconventional space
projects, nanotechnology, biotech, classical and strange music, even
the books and plays of Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket).  I just don't
talk about them much here.

> has never, to my knowledge, espoused
> any "lynching" ideology.

I could make an exception in certain cases.  Read the Wikipedia
article if you want enlightenment.

Keith

> I feel it's a bit unforgiving to take the
> above comment out of context.
>
> (an unusually sober post today, I'll be sure to return to my usual
> lighthearted silliness forthwith)
>
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