Re: WTA anti-Transhumanist Views? ( was: RE: Politics of Transhumanism, Singularitarianism and Nazis

From: Mark Walker (mdwalker@quickclic.net)
Date: Tue Jan 08 2002 - 19:06:30 MST


----- Original Message -----
From: <natashavita@earthlink.net>
> Trying to brand any transhumanist organization with a negatively intended
political smear is certainly both yellow-dog and ignominious. Whereas I
don't think that WTA would do something this foolish, especially in light of
the support ExI has given to it since its inception, and I sincerely don't
think this is WTA's intention. But, if the intention of WTA is to say "ExI
members and other extropian transhumanits are the political bad guys and WTA
folks are clean faced political good guys, then I think WTA could be making
a very bad marketing decision.
>
Natasha you are indeed right. This is not the WTA's intention. In hindsight
at least, James might have been better to preface his post here with the
remark that the essay is not a WTA position paper. Indeed, as he explained
yesterday, it was the writing of the paper that brought him to the WTA. The
transhumanist family is small enough, we certainly do not want anything as
human, all too human, as politics to divide us.:) The family metaphor is a
bit more than it may seem when you look at the current WTA executive
committee:

Ziana Astralos
Nick Bostrom
James Hughes
Eugene Leitl
Dave Pearce
Anders Sandberg
Mike Tredder
Mark Walker
Eliezer Yudkowsky

Obviously this list contains the names of a few of the usual suspects around
ExI. James has been serving as interim Chair but we have not elected a Chair
as of yet. (Whoever is elected Chair will be from this motley crew).
E
> Again, transhumanism is not based on politics or any political agenda and
it would do the transhumanist community and the advancement of transhumanism
a great disservice to start tossing political jabs for special effects.
>
>
I couldn't agree more. The only gain here will be in the entropy of the
universe. Cheers, Mark.



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