Religion, Politics, Death, and Hope

Can you see the future? The overall arc of the 21st century? How does it appear to you?

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Complete entry

Posted by jhughes  on  01/15  at  03:22 PM

BTW what exactly is a "stuff white people like" leftist? Must be something Michael has met in the Bay Area. I doubt its the same as a Socialist Workers Party (SWP) leftist, since you are (thankfully) not at all similar to a member of that Trotskyite/Castroite sect.

Posted by Pan Covenant  on  01/15  at  08:01 PM

"If you're an engineer, you might argue that the glass is twice the size it needs to be."

This could be construed as an argument for a massive culling

Posted by Mark Plus  on  01/15  at  10:26 PM

Science fiction also tends to promote the dominator world view associated with conservatism and libertarianism: Making the forces of nature do what man wants, for man's benefit, instead of letting nature run its own course. The right therefore organically gravitates towards support of new and more capable weapons, nuclear power, pesticides, pharmaceutical-based health care, cosmetic surgery, exploitation of natural resources, genetically engineered crops, and other applications of science which would have sounded like science fiction a generation or two back. (The right still hasn't figured out yet that global climate technology also fits better into its agenda than the left's; what advanced science fictional civilization wouldn't want the ability to control its planet's climate?)

Some conservatives might fantasize about living in the agrarian societies found in fantasy literature, but on the whole they prefer our world with mechanized agriculture instead of plows and oxen; guns instead of swords; luxury cars instead of horses; credit cards instead of sacks of gold; suburbs instead of forests; etc. The science fiction which portrays the conquest of nature addresses what conservatives really want from life, even if they disagree with the way the fictional societies in some of these stories organize the process politically.

Posted by Michael Anissimov  on  01/18  at  05:23 AM

James and Mike, "SWPL" stands for stuffwhitepeoplelike.com. The site captures an archetype that I think is extremely common, and it's not meant to be derogatory. I like Obama, for instance, and he primarily seems to fit into the SWPL category.

Posted by Giulio Prisco  on  01/18  at  10:12 AM

Interesting. Perhaps SWPL should be more qualified:

For example, I am certainly white enough but I dislike all of these:

In fact, it's a good rule of thumb to know that white people like anything that old writers and artists liked: typewriters, journals, suicide, heroin, and trains are just a few examples.

Posted by Mike Treder  on  01/18  at  10:15 AM

In my mind, any sort of labeling is offensive and juvenile. Deal with people, not types.

Posted by CygnusX1  on  01/18  at  03:41 PM

@ Mike

Quote : "That's when I will really be impressed with the power of emerging technologies: when all those sensational new tools that supposedly are being rapidly developed are put to use in creating effective humanitarian solutions to the very real problems of suffering and death that daily beset so many of our fellow inhabitants of Earth."

This may be the problem, are we all waiting around to be impressed?

The IEET and other think tank organisations are doing a grand job in identifying and highlighting the advances and problems associated with the technical progression of humanity through transhumanism, yet is it enough and is it really filtering through the media to the masses to change world opinion?

Is it technology and its advances driving the ethical discussion, and should not the ethical discussion be a guiding force for new technologies? I guess its both sides of the same coin.
Yet are we all still too concerned and preoccupied with promoting and accepting consumerism that only serves our own selfish needs as individuals and that promotes individualism? "Myspace", "I-tunes", mobile and pocket devices, fashonista's, quick fixes and fast frills?

Why so many Marvel hero's these daze? Do we have a need for these right here, right now? When we all rally an cheer for global saviours do we all have an underlying subconscious craving to change the world, for the better? One thing is for sure, a well written thought provoking movie can change and sweep world opinion like a flash-fire. Perhaps the IEET should branch out into the movie business?

In real terms We can feed the world and eliminate starvation and hunger if we really want to, we can reverse and limit damage to our climate and environment if we really want to, we can all be less selfish if we really want to, we can inspire and motivate if we really want to, and we can enter a new ethical age if we really want to.

Ask yourself this ".which is the most universal human characteristic?"
"Waking Life" a clue > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThUaBAGJpQs

Also Julian Savulescu explains the roots and limitations of our empathic nature
Genetically Enhance Humanity or Face Extinction > http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/savulescu20091116/

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