[extropy-chat] Open and hidden fascism in Exi forum

[Damien Broderick]

At 09:39 AM 6/27/2004 -0700, Natasha wrote:

>Herbert Mania,

That's `Hubert'.

>[Robert Bradbury's] views are his personal views and not the views ExI.

This is very difficult, granted, especially on a list with a strong 
libertarian coloration. To take the standard reductio, what would happen to 
somebody who repeatedly posted to this list: `All niggers and kikes should 
be killed!' Such a moron would be shunned, certainly, except by the few 
other morons in agreement, but I'm of the opinion that the proprietors of a 
public list with an advocacy role in the world needs to dissociate itself 
from such filth. Robert's `thought experiment' isn't quite a vile as that 
sort of thing, but it is staggeringly inappropriate all the same. I think 
Robert should take the mood of the room and choose to shut the hell up 
about this sort of insane idea in future, without anyone needing to censor 
him. If he refuses to, he should be instructed to by the board.

>To censor Robert or anyone for creating a thread on a topic that is 
>uncomfortable is fascist.  So, all in all, your reasoning is fascist.

To be pedantic: I can't see how such an act encourages corporate 
capitalism**, which is the definition of `fascism'. You mean, I assume, 
`censorious' or the like, whereas Hubert means `barbaric', `genocidal' (in 
intent; obviously Robert hasn't got any nukes), `disgracefully unethical' 
and the like.

Damien Broderick

** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism <As a political science, the 
philosophical pretext to the literal fascism of the historical Italian type 
believes the state's nature is superior to that of the sum of the 
individual's comprising it, and that they exist for the state rather than 
the state existing to serve them. The resources individuals provide from 
participating in the community are conceived as a productive duty of 
individual progress serving an entity greater than the sum of its parts. 
Therefore all individual's business is the state's business, the state's 
existence is the sole duty of the individual. In its 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//wiki/Corporatism>Corporativist model of 
totalitarian but private management the various functions of the state were 
trades conceived as individualized entities making that state, and that it 
is in the state's interest to oversee them for that reason, but not direct 
them or make them public by the rationale that such functioning in 
government hands undermines the development of what the state is. Private 
activity is in a sense contracted to the state so that the state may 
suspend the infrastructure of any entity in accord to their usefulness and 
direction, or health to the state.

The social composition of Fascist movements have historically been small 
capitalists, low-level bureaucrats and the middle classes.> [etc]