[ExI] pay to not play

[spike at rainier66.com]

...> On Behalf Of sjatkins via extropy-chat

> So… knowing that you had a big impact on me with that thread, have you 
> a good guess what that thread was about and what you said?
> 

Hi Spike,

Not sure which one it might have been.  I remember getting in a bit of a fracas with some in the group around the lead up to the Iraq invasion. I forget whether there was such around 9/11 or the anti-terrorism Patriot Act stuff.  I remember fondly arguing with Eliezer about CEV or some such at a gathering at your place once.  Other than that I am drawing a blank.   But if you can hum a few more bars perhaps something will get jogged loose. 

- samantha 

_______________________________________________


Ah fond memories indeed you have brought back.  I had forgotten that discussion you had with Eliezer, for I only listened to that one without attempting to contribute.  I was too far out of my area of expertise.  But all that predated the discussion I am thinking about.

Of all the discussion around the anti-terrorism Patriot Act, you were the one who drew the most accurate word picture of how that would develop.  You were the one who recognized that it was an end-run around the fourth amendment.  I stayed out of that mostly, or was reprehensibly wishy washy about it (something I regret now.)  It was you who recognized that if power like that exists, power like that will be abused.  It was.  I am astonished (still!) that the organization which was the biggest abuser of that power was our own FBI, but I have a vague suspicion now that you were not a bit surprised when you heard of it.

Well done indeed madam.  You demonstrate you had telescopic crystal vision of the future, way back in the days when we were so convinced of these Islamic terrorist sleeper cells sneaking around looking for ways to crash our planes that we ignored the threat of terrorist cells within the FBI with no particular religious conviction, other than good old fashioned power addiction.

Take a bow Samantha.  You deserve it.

spike