From: Charles D Hixson (charleshixsn@earthlink.net)
Date: Tue Feb 07 2006 - 19:21:52 MST
On Tuesday 07 February 2006 04:08 pm, Richard Loosemore wrote:
> Russell Wallace wrote:
> > On 2/7/06, *Joshua Fox* <joshua@joshuafox.com
> > <mailto:joshua@joshuafox.com>> wrote:
> >
> > Russell Wallace wrote:
> > > I don't think the Singularity is inevitable. In fact, I can think
> > > of
...
> > I don't know what will happen in the future, but I think there is at
> > least a significant risk that some such event will occur before we reach
> > the Singularity (which is why we need to hurry).
> >
> > - Russell
>
> Russell,
>
> This is pure political baiting:
>
> World government is a threat?
A world government would be likely to retard technological progress. This
will not stop the singularity, but makes a hard take-off more likely.
> European Union is a potential threat?
Agreed, this isn't very serious. The US being an unopposed superpower is much
more dangerous. (To everything, not just to technological progress.)
> We need very large populations?
We do need very large populations. About 1/10 of the current world
population, however, should easily suffice.
> Worried about weapons of mass destruction?
Anyone who isn't worried about weapons of mass destruction needs to open his
eyes.
>
> These sound like a catalog of neoconservative buzz-concepts.
Ad hominem arguments aren't particularly sound. The points are valid, but
don't generally seem likely to stop the singularity. (Barring, that is, a
catastrophe of some nature. State it generally. E.g., giant meteor impact
was omitted.)
>
> I agree that the world faces serious problems that might sabotage a
> beneficial Singularity. But your list looks like it is designed to
> provoke a NO POLITICS! stomp-down by the list sniper. Because of that,
> I'll only say that I totally disagree with your analysis.
>
> Richard Loosemore
The presumptions that the singularity will be likely to be beneficial is quite
questionable. If I didn't think our current institutions were leading us
blindfolded off a cliff, I would want to oppose it. I can't think of any way
that isn't disastrous, however, and the current government (for at least the
last 5 decades without significant change!) makes me feel that dangerous as
it is, the singularity is likely to be safer.
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