[ExI] Does the Pope have Corvid-19?

[Dan TheBookMan]

On Friday, February 28, 2020, 08:33:08 PM PST, John Clark via extropy-chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote: 
> On Fri, Feb 28, 2020 at 6:32 PM Dan TheBookMan via extropy-chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>> I’m not sure one will ever have the optimal time to dismantle the current system — 
> 
> Well I'm sure the optimal time isn't during a worldwide pandemic, people are going to
> be stressed and panicked enough as it is without throwing that hairball into the mix,

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> On Fri, Feb 28, 2020 at 6:32 PM Dan TheBookMan via extropy-chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>> I’m not sure one will ever have the optimal time to dismantle the current system — 
> 
> Well I'm sure the optimal time isn't during a worldwide pandemic, people are going to
> be stressed and panicked enough as it is without throwing that hairball into the mix,

So wait until next year. The issue has already been discussed for years and there are plans on how to dismantle the current system going back decades. It's not like this is new territory. And nations have before changed their monetary and banking systems -- almost always because of and even during crises. In fact, crises are usually the reason such systems are changed. Very rarely do they simply change because some academics said, 'Let's try this out.'
 
>> in other words, if there’ll ever be a time it’ll be painless.
> 
> There will never be such a time because the AI Singularity will happen first rendering
> economic questions of that sort moot.

Actually, you don't know that either there will be a AI Singularity or that it will render economic questions moot. There might not be one in the first place. But let's say there is. Then it might simply shift economic questions to a different arena depending on how it plays out. Whatever agents exist will still face economic problems -- in the general sense of economics being about action by agents who face choices because their goals exceed their means and they have imperfect knowledge and suffer under time (which are all kind of linked).

In general, don't fall for the argumentum ad singularitatem: which is that any problem can be ignored simply by saying a technological singularity will render it meaningless.
 
>> It’s kind of like abolishing slavery. It’s going to cause disruption,
> 
> Yeah, like the sort of disruption the Chicxulub Event caused.

Not at all.

>> but that can’t be the go to argument against it.
> 
> Oh I think it can be.

Remember that next time you argue for any major change. To me it seems you have a double standard here.

Regards,

Dan
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