From: John Grigg (starman2100@lycos.com)
Date: Fri Jan 10 2003 - 00:47:40 MST
Brett Paatsch wrote:
Let me be a bit less definitionally fixated. The sort of politics I am
interested in, and I think many on the ExI list would be interested in, is the sort of politics that is concerned not with mere esoteric discussions, but with actually forging particular futures from a range of possible futures. Not with merely examining the world including the broader social world but engaging with it. I, and I presume most on the ExI list want not so much to be concerned with mere ideology, mere philosophy or religion (actually in my case religion needs separate consideration) but with pragmatic approaches to the propagating of good memes and towards increasing the likelihood that good, or at least better social policies rather than bad or inferior ones will be implemented.
(end)
So we should be doers of the meme and not hearers only? : ) Don't you realize just how fun esoteric discussions can be? lol Actually, we have had some good threads on pragmatic approaches to "propagate the memes" but as has been said before, leading extropians is sort of like herding cats.
you continue:
My interest, (perhaps call?) to politics, or "social politics", if you
prefer is a call to relevant pragmatic action *in the world* to achieve our objects knowing we will be confronted all along the way with the "you should not play God" charge as though we actually have a choice on that matter.
(end)
So..., you wish us to engage wholeheartedly in grassroots social activism? : ) It is a method those on the "other side" have used for years and done very, very well with. Of course "grassroots social activists" often have very professional organizations and personalities guiding them along.
It seems to me we have had an elite of extropian leaders who have the personalities, intellect, education, reputation, and charm necessary to get interviewed in the mass media, engage in public debates and publish articles in widely read or at least influential publications. Max and Natasha come to mind along with a few others, but I just wonder if their influence alone is really enough?
I view their efforts as a very good thing, but perhaps in time the "rank and file" of ExI can start doing much more. The move toward encouraging extropians to form local groups in their area was hopefully a step in that direction.
I remember when Mike Lorrey (perhaps to an extent motivated by frustration) tried to found his own organization to actually go out and do something in the local community. But his idea of putting pro-GM food labels on fruit may have been going too far.
In an "ideal world" ExI would have a billionaire patron who would lavish a $200 million dollar endowment upon it to achieve its goals. But since something like that has so far not happened, we must (and they have) get by with what funds and volunteers there are.
And yet many grassroots organizations have made huge strides and accomplished goals on very limited resources, so this is no real excuse for us. We must get creative and become "good guerilla fighters!" lol Certainly the books and training materials to do this are out there.
If among extropy listmembers we had the will to act equal to the level of intellect here there would be no problem. Of course one or two really wrong steps in the public eye could do possibly incalculable damage. What will be done?
I feel fortunate to be in my own way trying to do something. In time the Creekside Preserve Lodge where I work will branch out into the Ventureville cryonics community which will be a haven for both old and young cryonicists. It will be the headquarters for The Society for Venturism which will along with protecting cryonicist's rights, also share with the world a message about the benefits of trying to attain physical immortality. And with the funds we make at Creekside we can empower our goal of doing this.
One thing I am certain of is that we will need each other to see the kind of world we ultimately want. And it will take people like Max More, Natasha Vita-More, and David Pizer (former Alcor V.P., founder of the Venturists and owner of the Creekside) to lead the way.
Someone has to do it (and the right way).
www.creeksidepreserve.com
http://www.venturist.org/
best wishes,
John Grigg
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