[extropy-chat] learning to appreciate pessimists

[Mike Lorrey]

--- c c <beb_cc at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Pessimists act as a reality check, counteracting the predictions of
> cheerleading prognosticators who want to encourage others, even by
> being baselessly optimistic.
> You can see where luddite cyberpunks are coming from, they have been
> told of the brave world of Tomorrow, and merely a cursory glance at
> humanity reveals there are generations, or even centuries, of
> resistance left to progress. And here we are naturally defining
> progress on our terms. If we can convince enough recalcitrants, then
> the future is more on our extropian/transhumanist terms than on
> someone else's. Win enough hearts & minds and we obstensibly own the
> future. This is a subtext, or the subtext to Luddite critiques of
> progress. Ludds are not merely criticizing what we want, they are
> criticizing us for wanting to 'control' the future, they are
> criticizing us not merely for 'playing God', but even for having the
> temerity to say we want, let alone deserve to exist beyond our
> original lifespans. 

Then they are confused, or you are. The only people who want to control
the future are luddites who want to legislate technology out of
existence. We want the future to happen as it should.

> When ludds say, "who do you think you are?", they
> mean that literally, they mean to say, "what even gives you the right
> to exist, and especially, what gives you the prerogative to strive
>  for unlimited lifespans and in the process change the future to your
> specifications... and even 'own' the future?". They are playing for
> keepsies, they sense the future is up for grabs. And they are
> correct.

Primarily because too many of us see the future as 'inevitable'.
Nothing is inevitable. China turned away from its great age of
exploration by one act of government. It would otherwise have dominated
the planet centuries ago. The Inca banned the wheel. The luddites can
and will choose a new dark age and the deaths of billions in order to
be right.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com


		
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