[liberationtech] Tech: Problem or Solution? (Saturday at Stanford at 7pm)

[hellekin]

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On 11/14/2014 06:30 PM, Yosem Companys wrote:
> From: *Stanford Transhumanist Association*
> <transhumanism at lists.stanford.edu <mailto:transhumanism at lists.stanford.edu>>
> 
> The Stanford Transhumanist Associationis excited to announce our first
> event of the year:
> 
> 
> Zoltan vs. Zerzan <https://www.facebook.com/events/832564993462598/>:
> Transhumanism and Primitivism.
> 
> 
> We’re hosting a debate between two individuals with radically different
> views about the future of humanity.
> 
> 
> Zoltan Istvan <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoltan_Istvan>is a futurist,
> journalist (HuffPo, Psychology Today), and bestselling author who writes
> about politics, atheism, and transhumanism. He strongly defends the view
> <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zoltan-istvan/some-futurists-arent-worried_b_4786325.html>that
> technology has the potential to fundamentally transform human existence
> in positive ways, such as the elimination of involuntary aging and disease.
> 
> 
> John Zerzan <http://johnzerzan.net/articles/>(class of ‘66) holds the
> opposite view: technology (and civilization) is to blame for all of
> humanity’s suffering. He gained prominence in 1995 as a confidant to the
> Unabomber
> <http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/07/us/prominent-anarchist-finds-unsought-ally-in-serial-bomber.html>,
> embracing his philosophy (but condemning his violent actions). He argues
> that we need to abandon our pursuit of technology and return to the
> positive principles found in primitive societies if we are ever to be
> satisfied and live in harmony.
> 
> 
> Join us this Saturday, November 15th at 7 PMin the Geology Corner
> Auditorium(320-105) to witness Zoltan and Zerzan debate the issues at
> the core of their disagreement. After the debate (around 8:15pm), you
> will have the chance to meet Zoltan and Zerzan, as well as the
> transhumanists and green anarcho-primitivists that inhabit Stanford. The
> authors will have signed copies of their books for sale.
> 
> 
> tl;dr debate re: tech vs. anti-tech saturday 11/15 @ 7pm
> 
> 
> Nanobots vs. Hunter-gatherers!
> 
> Cyborgs vs. Dinosaurs!
> 
> Zoltan vs. Zerzan!
>
*** This is a stupid way to frame the debate.  Technology is not about
"either you're with us or you're against us", that is a childish and
imbecile statement.

The problem of technology is framed in terms of availability of
resources, feasability, desirability.  I don't think people would like
surgery to disappear.  However, there's a lot of techonology that does
not bring anything good to humanity or life on Earth.  The extractivist
model of governance is essentially destructive, and yet all modern
technology heavily relies on it.  That is the real debate to have: how
to make technology that can allow 10-billion human population to thrive
without destroying the balance that supports life in the biosphere.

==
hk

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