From: Ben Goertzel (ben@goertzel.org)
Date: Fri Mar 12 2004 - 08:59:44 MST
Hi,
> Also I think there's a lot the US (and other countries) could
> do to reduce
> the risk of terrorist attacks on US citizens or US allies by
> changing the
> way the US (and other countries) relates to the rest of the
> world. The
> terrorist attacks don't come out of thin air - there is a lot
> of history
> behind them.
Well, current US policy has many flaws, but it's worth noting that a
Luddite attitude underlies part of what pisses off bin Laden and crew.
These guys hate modern technology and the cultural and psychological
changes it has caused. The US is hated for some of its specific acts,
but also because it's a conveninent symbol for modern technology and
culture (which has led humanity away from the True Path, i.e. the
fundamentalist incarnation of Muslim religion...)
> By the way, can you explain exactly how you can escape the 'system'
> via the singularity? My guess is that, for those entities that have
> escalating post-human brain power, the singularity won't feel
> that much
> different to business as usual with a high innovation rate -
> because they
> will be able to keep up mentally with the speed of the
> changes. So if
> you think you'll be in there amongst the mentally enhanced what makes
> you think you won't find 'the system' in there with you?
Philip, there will be no BUSINESS AS USUAL in an environment of such
rapid change -- the concept of "as usual" doesn't apply!! Having minds
that are able keep up with highly rapid change is NOT the same as having
minds that are adapted to stasis or slow change...
As for "the system", I think he was referring to the current
psychological/social/cultural/political/economic system, which
absolutely will NOT retain its current position of power
post-Singularity. Though it may have power over select subdomains,
consisting of being who have chosen (or potentially are forced) to live
in a simulacrum of pre-Singularity reality.
The fact that there will be *some* system, doesn't mean that it will be
the same one....
-- Ben G.
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