Safe Space Where to Imagine Futures

Safe Space Where to Imagine Futures

0  Why this group

Members of this group are sick of polarization and efforts to convert us to others' worldview. With the aim of making life better for others and for ourselves, we are trying to build a place where to discuss anything and everything with respect for all political leanings, cultural trends, etc., without pressures of any kind. We tolerate ideas, expressions, relationship modes, customs that are not of our liking.

Examples:

.1  I may think that feminism is an opportunistic trend, or I may think that feminism should be mandatory... Even so, I do not attack feminism or feminists at our meetings, nor do I attack patriarchy or traditionalists.

.2  I may think that the Earth is in grave danger, or I may think that ecoconscious people are a bore. But I do not push scares at the meetings, nor do I make criticism of ecological worries.

.3  I may think that capitalism is the best invention since sliced bread, or I may think that it is the worst scourge. But I do not invite others to repent and convert to capitalism, nor do I tell others to have a soul, be humane, and things like that, and abandon the defense of capitalism.

.4  I may think that the powers that be our poisoning the population with 5G cell phones or plotting to control our minds with chips, or I may think that those who say so defend junk science or are crazy. But I do not mention these ideas at the meetings unless it is possible to do so in a calm and moderate way, without attacking the other side. Which is to say that maybe it is better not to mention any of this. Ditto for face masks and epidemics.

To Mend a Broken Internet, Create Online Parks https://www.wired.com/story/to-mend-a-broken-internet-create-online-parks/?mc_cid=196f1a49d5&mc_eid=1f593312fd

We need public spaces, built in the spirit of Walt Whitman, that allow us to gather, communicate, and share in something bigger than ourselves.

1  Further thoughts

Initially, we thought of having a non-denominational, non-partisan, group. On a second thought, we now prefer a multipartisan, multidenominational, non-nationalistic, multinational (English and other languages are equally valid) group.

When restrictions like the non-denominational label were used, in the end what we got was an exclusion of religious people.

We should also have a rationalistic focus WITH humanistic checks to prevent the excesses of the "only Reason" extremists. Excesses of the past: New calendar with new names for the months, new anti-religious State religions (a "civil religion" with a Goddess Reason is a good example), elimination of the mentally ill, etc.

We put a great emphasis in technological tools for our group's ends. Examples are AI, blockchain, robotics, traditional computing.

2  Some rules

We follow the laws.

Common sense. Civil dicussions. Respecting time limits. We keep a good personal hygiene. We park well when going to meetings. We don't litter (food wrapping, cigarettes, etc.). We don't harass others (politicians, others). We don't trespass. We don't block the streets or prevent others' rights of movement.

We have got ethical limits: Even when doing something is legal, we should try to make things easier for others, in the group of out of it, and to follow moral/ethical limits.

Writing must be clear, sentences not too long, spelling almost perfect. Examples of how not to write:

Cosmic hierarchy of Omniinterrationally-phased, Nuclear-centered, Convergently-divergently Intertransformable Systems [...] This is the synergenetics isometric view of the isotropic vector matrix and its omnirational, low-order whole number, equilibrious state of the micro-macro cosmic limits of the nuclearly unique, symmetrical morphological relativity and its interquantative, intertransformative, intertransactive, expansive-conteractive, axially rotative, operational field. (R. Buckminster Fuller)

3  Technologies

3.1  Blockchain

Users of blockchain ledgers:

-  notary public systems (Dept. of Justice)

-  small investment companies

-  NGOs

3.2  AI

Building an AI-based interface that searches in several languages court opinions, laws, regulations, academic journals, extracting from them condensed argumentation lines for our moderate, progressive (not leftist, but old plain progressive) positions.

Current searches do not follow reasoning or motivation, just a relevance score system.

[...]

GPT-3

3.3  [...]

4  Politicized areas in which to work

4.1  Microeconomy

Many people don't trust big companies, and, inter alia, try to create pools of consumers that manage resources like power, water, payment services.

The Microeconomy Study Group would learn to build intelligent systems to help with practical issues that arise from non-coordinated, independent, disconnected users.

4.2  Housing/cities/urban studies

Help is needed to extend the use of systems that save energy and make cities visually more agreeable, like vertical or roof gardens.

4.3  Violence in the home, the family

To make things more general, the Violence Study Group should work to add protections to some categories that are forgotten in the current political fight, like children or the elderly.

4.4  Law

4.4.1  Let's say that a political party in power wishes to make abortion more accessible or to restrict access. The Law Study Group should strive to help with common sense issues, to incorporate objections of the other side that make the legal changes more palatable for everybody, and the law less capricious or imperfect.

4.4.2  Let's say that the death penalty returns. The Law Study Group would try to find technical measures to make it more limited, humane, etc.; or to contemplate the addition of life imprisonment to the legal framework to prevent the return of the penalty.

4.4.3  Let's say that a political party's platform has a proposal to open the borders without limits, or to deport illegal immigrants en masse. The Group would help with economic and legal analysis that would show to the party leadership that their proposals are not feasible in the way they are currently written.

5  Third rails, limitations of our approach, etc.

Drugs, prostitution, ........more here......, are out of scope. If we wish to work pro bono publico there are some areas in which progress (as understood by each other) is really difficult and to pay time to them would make progress in the other areas much more difficult to reach.

A clear problem with our line of work is certain blandness, like an orientation to the minimum common denominator. But, remember, we are sick of polarization and conversion efforts, we are not here to start very polite and end uncivil. We are here to discuss about everything and try to make changes in life around us to make things easier for all.

6  Meeting Venues

6.1  Physical

[MAT]: Enquire cost of meeting rooms, Wi-Fi and other computing resources.

[...]

6.2  Virtual

Google Docs

7  Dissemination of efforts

7.1  Physical presence

PR efforst at colleges, residencies, hospitals.

7.2  Virtual world

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Initial version, Oct 13 2020

Idea: Dino75

Implementation to text: Bipartisan Alliance