Re: Extropian country

den Otter (otter@globalxs.nl)
Fri, 20 Feb 1998 17:56:23 +0100


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Eugene Leitl <eugene@liposome.genebee.msu.su> wrote:

> > Beyond not making waves: Don't concentrate in one place. Don't dig in.
> > Don't get press. Doing so makes one a target.
>
> I think I am stating the trivial, if I say that extropians rarely need to
> interact physically. Net-crosslinked (realtime, crypted channels),
> distributed networks of friends, augmented by voluntary identity
> certification mechanisms (to prove you have dealt fairly in past
> interactions) would seem a useful future model for us to consider.
All of the above is very useful, but not a substitute for an autonomous
extropian nation. You might be relatively "free" while surfing the net,
but you still live in the real world where you're pretty much at the
mercy of the often whimsical government and "society". Furthermore,
virtual networking is nice to chat and make initial contacts, but if you
*really* want to get something done you'll still need get togeter
IRL. Besides, a new nation is *adventure*, an energizing inspiration to
all, a great service (refuge from persecution) and a potential source
of considerable income (something this movement is in dire need of).
Founding a new nation gives a sense of direction to transhumanism,
and it's an useful drill for the next logical step: migration to space.
This should be possible if all pioneer groups interested in this combine
their forces. Differences can always be settled once we're offplanet.