Re: The International Forum on Globalization - More suitablefor Halloween than Valentines...

From: Michael Lorrey (mike@datamann.com)
Date: Wed Feb 07 2001 - 19:06:09 MST


J Corbally wrote:
>
> > Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 13:02:24 -0800
> > From: "Al Billings" <memoria@memoria.com>
> > Perhaps it is a disagreement with the "strip mine the planet"
> > mentality of
> > so many groups interested solely in making a profit immediately
> > rather than
> > the long term survival and quality of life of the human species?
> > Al
> That's understandable, but what does disparaging nanotech etc have to
> do with that? If anything, most of the technologies they are
> complaining about are the ones that would allow their vision to come
> true. And if it's not the technology that's the problem, why do they
> go to lengths to "criminalize" them and those who develop them?
> Shouldn't they be focussed more on the particular companies they feel
> are guilty?
>
> It all sounds more like undirected fear of change to me. Is the world
> really moving that fast? Can't say I've had any more trouble keeping
> up than I did 10 years ago...

The incongruity is even more pronounced when you consider that these
people are invariably claiming to be some flavor of anarchist or
libertarian-socialists while at the same time advocating the US
equivalent of a Soviet State to accomplish their political aims (and at
the same time saying the Soviet Union was an aberration, not 'real'
socialism, etc). They claim they oppose people like Kazinski while
fawning over his Manifesto. I've been embedding myself in their online
communities, and its rather baffling, still, at how illogical,
irrational, and emotionally motivated they all seem to be. They have a
fundamental inability, typically, to carry on a rational debate: they
either launch into foaming at the mouth or else dismiss your arguments,
claiming its covered in the Anarchism FAQ (especially when it isn't).
When you actually counter their points they get all flustery claiming
that that venue is not a place for debate, that all anarchists have
always been socialists and anti-capital (typically because they kick out
anyone who isn't), and that you don't belong there.
What they are are big government totalitarian socialists.



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