[ExI] GOV _ TRUMP

[John Clark]

On Sun, Mar 5, 2017 at 5:53 AM, Tomaz Kristan <protokol2020 at gmail.com>
wrote:

​> ​
> We are witnessing a John's slow drift toward the left for several years
> now.
>

​Yes, except it's not slow, it's not a aimless drift but is driven by
reason, and today the entire left vs right dichotomy is ridiculous, in fact
it never made a lot of sense to me. At one time if you were on the "right"
you were:

1) For free trade and free markets. (I still support that with enthusiasm
but rightists are now passionately against both )

2) Rightists look favorably at restrictions on the free press. ( I was and
still am pretty much a absolutist on the issue of free press, but rightists
favored restrictions in the past and still do)

3) Rightists thought the USSR and later Russia was a malignant force. ( I
still do but now rightists think Russia is their great buddy.

4) Rightists thought individuals should have less freedoms regarding sex or
what drugs you're allowed to put into your body. (I never thought that but
rightest still do)

5) Rightists thought the phrase "my country right or wrong" made a lot of
sense. (they still do but I never did)

6) Rightists thought taxation should not be used to reduce the gap between
the rich and the poor. (I once thought the same thing but circumstances
have forced me to conclude it's time to change my mind)

7) Rightists believe everything Trump says is true . ( If Trump said
"hello" I wouldn't believe him and I think rightists are gullible morons.)

8) Those who called themselves "rightest" were once on average just as sane
as those who call themselves "leftest". ( But today one look at Trump's
tweets tells you that there has been a radical shift and those who call
themselves "rightest" are totally disconnected from reality)

 9) Both the left and the right thought government should have more say
about letting a person die than the individual involved, and both still do.
(I never though that so I was never right or left)

In the days leading up to the Singularity the relevant contradictory forces
will not be left vs right but smart vs stupid and evidence vs
wishful-thinking and reality vs fantasy and science vs magical-thinking.
And if you think you can get through the Singularity with all your core
beliefs remaining intact then you're dreaming. This is just the start, I
mean what do you think the word "singularity" means?

 John K Clark
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