Ron Paul and the Singularity

[Metric]

This is probably the most bizarre Ron Paul plugging yet, but lets have fun with it.

The pace of information technology has been accelerating exponentially for over a century, and is just beginning to merge with biotechnology, which is also accelerating exponentially. If the historical exponential trend continues over the next 40 years, we'll essentially be able to re-engineer living humans at will.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/38

One consequence of this trend (as bizarre as it sounds) is that some of us posting here may live for 10,000 years or more, in some form we haven't yet imagined, depending on which exponential technology curve we choose to follow.

However, in the words of Ray Kurzweil, "It's the economic imperative of a competitive marketplace that is the primary force driving technology forward and fueling the law of accelerating returns."

I.E. socialist policy, however attractive it may seem to you at the moment, has the effect of damping the exponential trend -- it will of course still be exponential, but the constant defining which exponential curves we follow well be effected by what fraction of the profitablity of new technology government decides to appropriate for it's own super-noble causes.

So -- are you in your 20's or 30's? If so, you're right on the cusp. Integrating the effect of socialist taxation and various artificial boundaries on technology-driving companies over the crucial next 40 years may very well be the difference in arriving at sufficient people-enhancing technology before you kick off.

So, my shameless plug -- vote Ron Paul and live for 100,000,000 years at a level of consciousness beyond your wildest dreams, personally visiting other solar systems, etc. etc. etc. or vote Barak Obama and be buried at 70 -- but with free dental.

[tomdemaine]

Ron Paul is a Christian politician who wants to forcefully remove hundreds of thousand of people from their homes and shift them over an imaginary boundary line using stolen money to do so.

Ron Paul is worse than just a statist, he knows and agrees that taxation is theft but still wants to use it for his own ends.

[phantomlimb]

And he refused to support gays in the military!!!!

And he would give the states the right to discriminate! >(

[ojc02]

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And he refused to support gays in the military!!!!

And he would give the states the right to discriminate! >(

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you actually listen to what he said? He specifically said that they can serve but they can't engage in disruptive behavior as determined by their commanding officers and the same applies to heterosexuals.

Also, where is this "states the right to discriminate" stuff coming from?

[phantomlimb]

He would not directly say to get rid of the don't ask don't tell policy because he is afraid of losing votes.

Also, I get the impression he would allow the states to ban abortion and ban gay marriage. While I am somewhat pro-life, I feel the states must have to defer to the federal government about civil rights issues...

[ShakeZula06]

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He would not directly say to get rid of the don't ask don't tell policy because he is afraid of losing votes.


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You can read minds now? Anyways, I don't think Ron Paul has too many votes to lose.
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Also, I get the impression he would allow the states to ban abortion and ban gay marriage.

[/ QUOTE ]
Again, you can read minds?
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While I am somewhat pro-life, I feel the states must have to defer to the federal government about civil rights issues...

[/ QUOTE ]
Why?

[ojc02]

[ QUOTE ]
He would not directly say to get rid of the don't ask don't tell policy because he is afraid of losing votes.

Also, I get the impression he would allow the states to ban abortion and ban gay marriage. While I am somewhat pro-life, I feel the states must have to defer to the federal government about civil rights issues...

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree he probably didn't want to say it that way for fear of losing votes.

He would indeed allow states to ban abortion (I'm pretty sure gay marriage too).

It is a horrendous idea to have the federal government dictate these things to the states. If you let the states make these decisions then people can "vote with their feet" and go to a less oppressive state. When the federal government makes these decisions you have no recourse. By having a loose federation of states you get some degree of protection of the minorities, that is the genius of the American Constitutional Republic. Sadly the ridiculous growth of the Federal government and the ignoring of the constitution have ruined all that.

[iggymcfly]

[ QUOTE ]
Ron Paul is a Christian politician who wants to forcefully remove hundreds of thousand of people from their homes and shift them over an imaginary boundary line using stolen money to do so.

Ron Paul is worse than just a statist, he knows and agrees that taxation is theft but still wants to use it for his own ends.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is [censored]. Ron Paul's believes that federal taxation of individuals is theft and he wants to repeal the income tax completely. He wouldn't be using "tax money" to remove illegal immigrants. All he wants to do is spend the money generated by some light tariffs on a few small federal programs including defense (real defense, not war) and border security. How you can think this is "worse than a typical statist" is just beyond me.

[tomdemaine]

[ QUOTE ]

This is [censored]. Ron Paul's believes that federal taxation of individuals is theft and he wants to repeal the income tax completely. He wouldn't be using "tax money" to remove illegal immigrants.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is he proposing using his own money? What right does he have to shift people about the world against their will anyway?

[ QUOTE ]
All he wants to do is spend the money enerated by some light tariffs

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lol
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on a few small federal programs including defense (real defense, not war) and border security. How you can think this is "worse than a typical statist" is just beyond me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Because all we have as Acists is economics (which is difficult to understand and noone believes anyway) and the moral high ground. Ron Paul has surrendered the moral high ground in saying that taxation (a few light tariffs is still taking money by force) can be a good thing. I'd much rather have George Bush for four more years than surrender my principles and have Ron Paul. Surrendering principles is what got us into this mess in the first place. The income tax was originally like 1% right? To pay for national defense only. Once you've surrendered to main point that taxation is wrong it gets easier and easier to cave on more and more things until you get to where things are today.

Don't support Ron Paul. If you vote, you have no right to complain.

[Nonfiction]

But Tom you can get a really sweet rocket launcher arm robotic attachment thing, it will be awesome. And a hover skateboard, oh man that will be sweet.