The Poor Masses
Tim_Robbins@aacte.nche.edu
Wed, 04 Sep 1996 09:42:46 -0500
I noticed that subject discipline on the list has gotten kind
of lax, with lots of political frustrations coming out. My bit
in response to the "productive people each supporting
millions of destitute loafers in the future": Why would we
want to do that? Point being, they'd just keep breeding
without foresight until they surpassed all the carrying
capacity of the planet, and even with hightech, until in one
last malthusian collapse they tried to consume the
remaining products of civilization, leaving a burned out
world without resources and with a slaughtered intellectual
elite. Let's face it, the only solution is to make conception
a cognitive and pricey activity, thereby guaranteeing at
least a semblance of planning, foresight and economic
wear-with-all. Let contagious nanotech provide universal
barriers to all accidental conception. The population
would drop to very comfortable and elite levels within two
generations.
As for uploading and becoming von neuman machines.
Honestly, am I the only extropian who likes the flesh?
Maybe I should form a faction of tech fiends who are
sleazy enough to appreciate the aesthetics and primal joy
of a fit sweaty body. Maybe I'm just an immortalist who
thinks the whole universe should be our domain. I guess I
wouldn't mind being able to have alternate _identities_ of
man, machine, cyborg, virtual entity--but I certainly don't
want to be constrained to one. Nor give up the best of
humanity. A product of the mind is art. And beauty is
art. For those who think I'm shallow. Take a look at
Michelangelo's David. I guess I'm as attached to physical
beauty as I am to intellectual brilliance and scientific truth.
Anyone else out there feel remotely the same? Feel free
to email me directly with suggestions or criticisms. I have
a thick skin, and don't want the list to get clogged with
non-technical issues.
TLR