[ExI] Hawaii telescope protests

[John Clark]

On Wed, Jul 24, 2019 at 12:21 PM SR Ballard <sen.otaku at gmail.com> wrote:

*> You have absolutely no proof that those works would have survived
> anyways*,
>

I don't get it. Why do you feel a moral obligation to make excuses for
barbarians?


> * > the library was already in decline*
>

I don't get it. Why do you feel a moral obligation to make excuses for
barbarians?


> *> Yes, I do think the telescopes can discover groundbreaking things, but
> just because it can doesn’t make it right. *
>

So the need to defend barbarians has become so strong that you disparage
the virtue of finding groundbreaking new things about the universe. I have
to keep reminding myself that this is the Extropian list.


> *> You think the Gods would take care of themselves” is a bizarre thing to
> say. In many religious traditions, men and gods exist side by side and
> interact quite closely. Often these gods are not even terribly powerful
> outside of a specific domain. *
>

Does anybody else around here think the protection of inept invisible Gods
is a sufficient reason to prevent us from learning more about the universe?
If inept invisible Gods want us to be ignorant and visible competent
astronomers want us to know more which side do you want to stand with? I
would have thought the answer to this question would have been obvious to
any member of the Extropian List but instead I find myself in the minority.
This sure isn't the list of old.


>  > *One isn’t “excusing” barbarians by explaining how and why they do
> what they do.*
>

Well, you're sure as hell not excusing my behavior of criticizing people
for shutting down the most important observatory in the world by explaining
why I might think that is a bad idea.


> * > How do you get to be arbiter of who is civilized and who is not?*
>

I don't get it. Why do you feel a moral obligation to make excuses for
barbarians?

John K Clark
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