[extropy-chat] [Bioethics] Scholars debate whether to limit scientific research ???

[Dirk Bruere]

On 1/4/06, Lifespan Pharma/Morris Johnson CTO <megao at sasktel.net> wrote:
>
> Looked at the adjenda and see Nick Bostrom is a presenter.
> Hopefully some intelligence on the various groups and alliances and
> allegences and overt and coveret themes and strategies
> can be gathered.
>
> Even the restriction of science in the name of security endangers the
> singularity date.
>
> On the other hand a massive covert effort to develop super human
> soldiers might also be an adgenda for some.
> However, it will mean  that only a choice few will benefit and the mass
> of this generation will be allowed to die
> natural deaths while the technology remains forbidden to expose to the
> world.
>
> In another post I rhetorically asked whether there would be any Chinese
delegates.
Of course there won't be. This kind of guilt ridden introspection is a
largely US (and to a lesser extent European) phenomenon.
I have friend who has just spent some time in China on business. He was
telling me about visiting a metal plating factory where there were open pits
of hot acid. No safety equipment at all, not even guard rails to stop
someone falling in. No pollution controls. Everything was focussed on
creating the product for the least money no matter who or what suffered. Add
to that a fanatical drive to become what they already believe they are, the
number one civilisation, coupled with a nationalistic racism not seen since
WW2 in Europe and you can guess what their response to Western 'ethical
concerns' will be. The finger.

Let's not hand them the future by default.
They should at least have to earn it the hard way.

Dirk
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