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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I sometimes wonder if things progress more slowly
because folks that</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>have made intellectual contributions in the past
are reluctant to make</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>only lesser contributions in the future. For
instance I wonder if Max is</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>less </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>willing to
right speculative stuff that might be wrong because it </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>might </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>be used
against him. I wonder if he's sort of resting on his laurells</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>with </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>the Extropian
Principles because to write something else might be </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>used against him or might work to diminish what he
has written. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This would be a pity if so because it would mean
that incremental</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>improvements and synergies don't get a
chance.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If smart people could get in the habit of feeling
comfortable about</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>sayings something like, "yes I did say that then,
but I've changed</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>my mind since", then I think we might see more
progress. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think not just transhumans but the world is ripe
and ready to be </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>receptive to new ideas about </FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2>politics and society. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think the thing that transhumanists have done
very badly in the past</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>is appreciate how much politics slows things
down. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I see transhumanists as a group as not being
particularly savvy or</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>knowledgeable about politics (not party politics,
but just what happens</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>when groups of humans interact) or history and this
gives me the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>strong </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>sense that
they will actually be amongst the majority within</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>democracies that </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>causes </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>a </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>lot of historical mistakes to be repeated. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=gregburch@gregburch.net href="mailto:gregburch@gregburch.net">Greg
Burch</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org
href="mailto:extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org">ExI chat list</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 10, 2005 7:09
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [extropy-chat]
Extropy,Political Viewpoint and the Future of ExI's List</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=423380721-09102005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Oh,
how I long to write about this subject! Somehow, though, I never
seem to have the time I KNOW the subject demands and deserves. But I'm
working on it. It's not that I don't have things to say on the subject,
but I have become EXTREMELY cautious about putting half-thought-out ideas into
the sphere of discussion. Among other reasons, for those that are being
discussed in the "Futures Past" thread. But perhaps before too long I
will write something here on my political ideas.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Brett
Paatsch<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, October 09, 2005 10:46 AM<BR><B>To:</B> ExI
chat list<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [extropy-chat] Extropy,Political Viewpoint
and the Future of ExI's List<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Natasha wrote:</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV>Our Vice President, Greg Burch, said recently that ...we need a
new</DIV>
<DIV> political viewpoint -- one that far outreaches what we have
known in</DIV>
<DIV> the past - on that is more futuristic for a society that will
find its place</DIV>
<DIV> in the future and help others along into that future.
</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'd like to hear more about these thoughts on
the need for a new political</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>viewpoint.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I do wonder what sort of </FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2>futurist society Greg in particular </FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2>envisages. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What will make this future society a
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>society, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>how
would it be envisaged</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>to </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>cohere?
Will it be global or national?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Brett Paatsch</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
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