[extropy-chat] Christopher Reeve Foundation: Request

[David Lubkin]

I asked:

>The question I wish to raise is a variant on past threads. What could Bush 
>or Kerry reasonably be predicted to do in our realm of extropian topics 
>(such as Brett's example) that would have a greater likely effect for 
>better or ill -- on sentient life, on the US, on us personally -- than 
>preventing a large WMD attack?

>What are the most important of these that Bush and Kerry differ on? Does 
>this add up to a clear electoral choice?

to which Natasha replied:

>I don't know but here are some basics:
>
>Bush                                            Kerry

You're reporting them in terms of their public positions, versus what they 
could actually accomplish. In some cases, the rhetoric is irrelevant noise.

>Terrorism utmost importance                     Against US war in Iraq

While I have tremendous doubts about some of Bush's goals and methods, I'm 
very heartened by some of the ripple effects, such as Libya's about-face.

>Against stem cell cloning                       Supports research

Kerry. (Has Kerry advocated any limits at all?)

>Medicare/prescript/help "illegals"              Health Insurance for Americans

Bush, to the extent that Kerry would socialize medicine more, putting more 
bureaucratic inertia in the way of advanced tech.

>Constitution against abortion                   Only elect Supreme Ct. 
>Justice for Abortion Rights

Abortion is chump change compared to the pervasive, dramatic consequences 
of judicial activism vs. strict constructionism. Bush.

>Against gay marriage                            Against gay marriage but 
>for civil rights or certificate

A minor issue per se, but it would be useful to decouple the government 
from coupling. Slightly better for Kerry.

>Environment -market solve probs.                Regulations on industries

Similar to health care -- seems like Kerry's approach would impede advanced 
tech and private spaceflight.

>Education?                                      Overhaul education

"Overhaul" means strengthen the teachers' unions and public school statist 
indoctrination. This is the one issue where we have common cause with the 
religious right, in their quest for vouchers and home-schooling. Bush.

>taxes - ?                                       Raise taxes of wealthy

Both pathetic, but Bush is modestly better.

>Obesity- ?                                      Obesity- ?

Relevance?

And Reason wrote:

>Aside from the one he belongs to. You know, the one that's laying down
>policies that have already set up a future in which an order of magnitude
>more death and suffering will occur than any third or fourth generation
>military force can aspire to. Five years of setback in regenerative medicine
>multiplied by the number of people who suffer from incurable diseases and
>die every day - that's the cost right now that our future selves must
>suffer. War and terrorism are very minor concerns compared to medical
>research, application and regulation legislation.

That's the sort of issue I had in mind. I agree that "small" attacks like 
9/11 are not inherently disruptive, except perhaps in our reaction to them.

On the other hand, the cost in life, physical property, data, and societal 
disruption from an optimized nuclear attack on Manhattan is substantial. 
(BTW, does anyone know if there are any critical geographic loci of 
corporate or federal data where an EMP attack would be disastrous?)

With regard to stem cell research -- does Bush intend bans that would 
affect research elsewhere in the world? Is stem cell research the best 
short-term avenue to improved medical technology, or merely one among 
several to be pursued in parallel?


-- David Lubkin.