I disagree. While I have also heard these arguments many times before, this is
the first time I have seen them discussed in depth by extropians. When I joined
this list I was already convinced of the tech/trans humanist side of
extropianism but from lurking and occasionally contributing I have found that
even some of my political views have changed because of the well thought out
arguments presented here.
Not that I had far to go anyway, I've got a pre-existing strong crypto-anarchist
tendency, but a good example is the issue of gun control. Many would remember
that this featured for a while on this list.
I do not live in the USA, my country has only a small fraction of the crime and
violence, so I've always though that gun control is the best way of keeping our
country from following the USA down these roads. As a result I have always
opposed wide scale ownership of high-powered firearms.
I don't know if I'm a better extropian for it, but Michael Lorrey has convinced
me to buy a gun and stockpile other defensive measures. I'm still against
widespread ownership of guns, but only for *everyone else*, not for *me*.
Bytes are cheap and easily recycled. Let them chatter about welfare states a
bit more, I've got some other long held beliefs that I think are in need of an
update.
Grant Sparks
grant@sparks.to