🚀 go-pugleaf

Mark,

the goals of the Extropians seem well worth discussing. I too believe that
the is no such thing as an upper limit on human (or, if you wish, posthuman)
potential. These ideas were in fact the basis of the 'Superman' of early
existentialists.

I also believe that we should encourage a careful exploration of new, powerful
technologies. But, there is practicle reason for not allowing the market
along to govern such advances. I can not believe the community as a whole
has no right of self preservation. I therefore am very much in favor of
exploration of such technologies as nuclear fusion power, be they laser
fusion, magnetic bottle, or what ever new idea comes along. However,
such experimentation must be supervised and made very public. The
community, the state, or the collective, what ever, must ensure that
some hugely power experiment does turn into another Chernobyl. This was
a real, not a hypothetical, event.

Also, there may be no such thing as limits on growth, but there seem
to be limits on the rate of growth, at least those based on today's
technology. Forest cutting is a fine example. We have the technology
to cut back on our timber consumption (use concrete for houses, as is
done in Indida, for example) and we should be, and are, pursuing fast
growth trees and better forest management as well. However, there is
nothing wrong with setting aside some small percent of our orginal
virgin forest, for scientific exploration and pure enjoyment. Therefore,
since there are alternatives to the cutting of our remaining virgin
forest, I am very much in favor of preventing the market, in the form
of Japanese, or American, or whoever, corporations, from cutting what is
left this treasure.

In sum, the market alone does not ensure the best result. Just as a car
is more than an engine, even a very fine and powerful one, a society
can not be only a market. Even the best basketball teams have fouls
called on them. So it is with corporations. Regulation of the market
place, can make for better competition, and a better society.

gar