[extropy-chat] ENOUGH already

[Damien Broderick]

McKibben draws upon the wisdom of the extropian list thus:

`On the bulletin boards of the Web, you can find zealous "transhumanists"
not just explaining how the world will evolve past our species, but also
debating questions like whether it's morally necessary to kill "Luddites"
who stand in the way of such progress: "If we don't establish a transhuman
future, then Planet Earth is doomed to a rather dismal malthusian
extermination from disease, hunger, and lack of resources. If we don't build
a transhuman future, billions of people WILL die... What do you intend to do
about it? To what ends are you willing to [go to] save billions of lives?
What means are you willing to accept to achieve those ends?" [endnote 9]'
(ENOUGH, p. 112)

[9: "The Morality of Extremism," Extropian Web digest, April 18 and 19,
2002. It should be noted that the discussion of violence was a rare
exception on this particular Web forum, which is generally starry-eyed but
peaceful.] p. 240

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It's a pity McKibben didn't place this disclaimer in the text proper, rather
than leaving the implied stench to pollute the discourse. On the other hand,
the stench had been produced in the first place by the extropes who wrote
this sort of stuff on the list. I recall pointing out at the time how this
would come back to bite us on the arse.

Damien Broderick