OFC Meeting 21

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10 Dec 2019:

Free-for-All Discussion

AGENDA ITEMS

• The 10 Dec 2019 meeting is the last meeting listed on our Doodle Poll and presumably the last one for which we have the Qualicum Foods Board Room reserved. The first item of business must be to decide if we want to continue for another year, QF willing. Breaking news: Keith writes, "I have submitted our request to the manager of QF for the use of the Boardroom for 2020." So that's done.

• Keith continues, "I’ve been thinking about it over the last few days, especially in light of topics we have discussed in the past, which have mainly concerned contemporary issues such as climate change, AI, and a variety of other Hi Tech issues. But, there are other, much older issues, which we have not really tackled that might be of some interest. For example:

1. The refugee and asylum dilemma of helping people escape persecution and torture;
2. The increasing violence and marginalization of indigenous peoples, both in North America and many other countries of the world;
3. The seemingly endless continuation of racism, not just in the US, but Brazil, India, China and Sri Lanka, to name just a few countries.

I think there is an important place in futuristic problem solving in trying to resolve these long-dated issues!" Unfortunately, he won't be at the Dec 10 meeting due to back trouble.

• Doug recommends this prediction: TEOTWAWKI.

• Jess says: That world (as we knew it) is already gone. Chanting, "Ain't it awful?" isn't going to get us anywhere; we have to figure out how to make the new world livable for everyone, and that is going to take radical changes. The most promising idea I've heard is Agalmics -- in which automation completely takes over the production of consumable goods, which are then made available essentially free -- either by just giving away goods or by giving everyone a Guaranteed Livable Income -- which amounts to making H. sap. the "pets" of robots. This insults our dignity (more like our pride!) but let's face the facts: as the article said, most people are not capable of keeping up with our creations. Either they become "pets" or we let them starve. IMNERHO, most people would be quite content to be "pets" as long as their noses didn't get rubbed in it too often. There is another movement my daughter told me about, The Center for Humane Technology, which demands adaptation of our tech to be more friendly to "our Paleolithic brains", lest increasing harm be done to same. That would be great! But it requires that we first create a society driven by concerns beyond the Profit Motive. Changing society (and economics) is a far greater challenge than making new technology work. I'm not too optimistic.

• Philip writes: "There was a good interview of George Monbiot by Michael Enright on capitalism on Sunday Edition yesterday. You can listen to it here (26 minutes): Give Up Capitalism!