"If so, the goal of Space Collective should be to get these ideas worked out, not only at the high level of thought, but in ways which everyone can clearly understand what we are trying to say."
Agreed. While taking an economic system of abundance as a given is fine as a means of creating a foundation on which to build the vision of a polytopian future, the process of actually getting there should not be ignored. While I'm convinced that that situation can eventually be reached, it would be nice if the transition was relatively smooth, and didn't have to involve say, a complete global collapse resulting in a digital dark age from which a better society can be built.
As long as all the ideas are locked up here in our circle of a few thousand minds and stored only on a box in the basement at mediatemple they are pretty much useless in that kind of scenario.
Of course a hard singularity involving a forced enlightenment of the earths population would also neatly solve the problem, but I think a collapse before that would be more likely.
Having a clear view of the future to be created is certainly necessary, but so is having a idea of how to get there in order to be able to push in that direction. Relying solely on emergence for this process is of course possible and fine to be optimistic about, but its kind of a seat-of-the-pants approach.
The collapse of our current system is almost inevitable, what is crucial at that point is how the void that is left is filled. Those currently in power will want to maintain and expand that power, in which I see a very short road to a classical corporate police state dystopia. The scary thing there is that those people are also in the positions to have those plans pushed through, and already have them complete & ready for execution. (See the neoliberal solution to every economic collapse of the last 40 odd years, not to mention the clandestine creation of many of those collapses.)
In order for any other plan to be able to compete, it must also be complete to the point that it is ready for implementation, and there needs to be someone in the position to present it through the right channels at the right time. This role could (should) of course be taken on by the people as a whole, but seeing as most of them really don't like to think that much anymore, that isn't very likely at this point, most would prefer to have a solution presented to them.
Agreed. While taking an economic system of abundance as a given is fine as a means of creating a foundation on which to build the vision of a polytopian future, the process of actually getting there should not be ignored. While I'm convinced that that situation can eventually be reached, it would be nice if the transition was relatively smooth, and didn't have to involve say, a complete global collapse resulting in a digital dark age from which a better society can be built.
As long as all the ideas are locked up here in our circle of a few thousand minds and stored only on a box in the basement at mediatemple they are pretty much useless in that kind of scenario.
Of course a hard singularity involving a forced enlightenment of the earths population would also neatly solve the problem, but I think a collapse before that would be more likely.
Having a clear view of the future to be created is certainly necessary, but so is having a idea of how to get there in order to be able to push in that direction. Relying solely on emergence for this process is of course possible and fine to be optimistic about, but its kind of a seat-of-the-pants approach.
The collapse of our current system is almost inevitable, what is crucial at that point is how the void that is left is filled. Those currently in power will want to maintain and expand that power, in which I see a very short road to a classical corporate police state dystopia. The scary thing there is that those people are also in the positions to have those plans pushed through, and already have them complete & ready for execution. (See the neoliberal solution to every economic collapse of the last 40 odd years, not to mention the clandestine creation of many of those collapses.)
In order for any other plan to be able to compete, it must also be complete to the point that it is ready for implementation, and there needs to be someone in the position to present it through the right channels at the right time. This role could (should) of course be taken on by the people as a whole, but seeing as most of them really don't like to think that much anymore, that isn't very likely at this point, most would prefer to have a solution presented to them.