X-Message-Number: 20873
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 23:17:06 +1100
From: Philip Rhoades <>
Subject: Avoiding a big issue

People,

The discussion about how much Yvan is right or wrong about the pace of 
fundamental scientific/technological development can be argued back and 
forth.  I happen to think he is more right than wrong.

There is another part of Yvan's position that isn't being talked about 
- I think the issue is being avoided - maybe it's too scary to deal 
with.  What isn't being talked about - particularly by the disciples of 
accelerating change in their various forms is the fact that 
accompanying this tech acceleration is an accelerating risk of 
non-survival of not only our own species but lots of others as well.  I 
will be the first to take advantage of super-braining, galactic 
explorations etc etc - love it - as long as we can get there.

There are, however, lots of very powerful, very greedy, very stupid 
people around.  People that will prefer to cause another stone-age 
(Biblical age?) rather than let us do what we want.  They may not even 
know what they are causing or understand the end result of their 
actions.

There are lots of examples but it seems plainly obvious that one 
example of what I am saying is:

- governments/corporations supporting lunatic, murderous dictators all 
over the world with huge amounts of money, technology, CIA training etc 
etc to repress their own people.

- waging enormously expensive wars against said lunatic, murderous 
dictators when they don't behave the way they are supposed to.

- waging said wars causes a tidal wave of resentment against unnamed 
super power and allies because of all the innocent civilians killed 
which breeds an exponential growth in revenge seekers ("terrorists").

- increase in terrorists causes exponential military response by 
unnamed super power, causing exponentially more innocent civilians to 
be killed.

We have been walking a tightrope for many decades and it is getting 
shakier and shakier.  People don't seem to realise how fragile our 
existence is on this little planet.  What I want to know is: what 
happens to all our great plans when the electricity goes off?  It seems 
to me if we are really interested in survival we should be interested 
in other people's survival as well - even if just from a selfish point 
of view.

R&LL,

Phil.
-- 
Philip Rhoades

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GPO Box 3411
Sydney NSW	2001
Australia
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