Re: Politics of transhumanism and the WTA

From: cryofan (cryofan@mylinuxisp.com)
Date: Mon Jan 07 2002 - 20:23:59 MST


On Mon, 7 Jan 2002 20:33:43 -0500, you wrote:

>Max More wrote:
>
>> Yet Rasmussen here displays
>> some Eurocentric bigotry.
>> Is *this* to be praised by
>> J. Hughes on behalf of
>> WTA because it suits his purposes?
>
>I was not involved with the World Transhumanist Association when I wrote the
>essay, and only decided to get involved on the basis of the conclusions I
>drew in it. The essay doesn't represent the views of the WTA, which I/we
>hope will be a very broad tent including libertarians, Greens, social
>democrats, centrists and the apolitical.
>
>I especially hope that you don't hold my essay against the WTA since we want
>the Extropy Institute to join as an organizational affiliate, and would like
>extropians to join as individuals.
>
>As for Rasmussen's observation (which I was originally delighted to
>attribute to you, thinking you were "Max M."), as someone who has expressed
>my democratic socialist views on the Extropy list at various points over the
>last eight years and been routinely flamed, I think he was fair to observe
>that the Extrop list did not often have left of center views expressed. I
>have seen more in this last year. As I say in the essay, I think the
>transhumanist milieu is growing and becoming more diverse, and the
>representation of political views is increasing.
>

In many respects, mainstream Extropianism/Transhumanism was born of
the same mid-1980s ideas that were showcased/savaged in the Oliver
Stone move _Wall_Street_.

You are absolutely right to try to bring some egalitarian ideas to
Extropianism/Transhumanism. They will help us find acceptance for our
ideas about acceptance of GE and life extension memes.
Keep up the good work!



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