This is the part I don't like.

I don’t think their projects (which only seem to involve publishing papers and hosting conferences) have much chance of creating either Roko’s Basilisk or Eliezer’s Big Friendly God. But the combination of messianic ambitions, being convinced of your own infallibility, and a lot of cash never works out well, regardless of ideology, and I don’t expect Yudkowsky and his cohorts to be an exception.

I like Kurzweil's position that there is no other intelligent life in the universe greater than our on. He bases that argument on the belief that this: This is my understanding of it and not a direct quote

Lets say we are 20 to 50 years till super AI. It would take that AI only a short time, based on the law of accelerating returns to solve problems associated with space travel to other planets. Thus if a civilization exist that is advanced to the point we will be in 50 years, we would have gotten a visit already. The thinking is sound, but there are many variables that are assumed.

I'm just thinking out loud here but what if the other planet's had such a distribution of people that made it less likely to war with each other. This would greatly impede there advancement because much of our advancement, our technology has come about through our military exploits. Or what if their civilization was not divided into many separate regions like Europe for example with competing interest. It was the competition of interest that created the great Banking empires of Europe, and without that Banking many things would not have come into existence, exspically wars. What if the nature of other life forms were less driven to compete?

I'm just postulating that their is little guarantee that two different civilizations would advance at the same level.

As for me, I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in the Holy Bible as the inerrant words of God. And I also believe that if the planet blew up into a thousand pieces in an instant that that tragedy would be no greater than the death of a single person unless consciousness transcends time. How could it be greater or lessor. For all those living at the time would not even be aware that it happened.

Sorry for my late night rambling.

Good reply, and wise of you to point out that we must win on the local level. Local elections will tend to be more/the most legit.

I also believe that there are very well placed, and powerful people/forces fighting on our side that have infiltrated their power structure. No way I can believe that we went from a country of patriotic Americans to a position where the entire military chain of command is hell bent on destroying our country in one decade. Of course if you listen to what Eisenhower had to say it indicates that the threat of a corporate - government cabal has been a treat much longer than a decade. In fact there have been many insiders ringing the warning bell for a long time.

And AI is not something exclusive to Satan and his agents, we probably have some advanced AI on our side too.

The biggest proof to me that more is going on than meets the eye has always been, (I can never seem to word this where it makes sense). I'll try using a "It's the dog that doesn't bark, is the one you have to worry about" analogy. As you know, little dogs bark because that is all they have. Similarly is the loud mouth braggart that tells you he is going to whip your ass. A man that confident is his fighting skills will never utter a word but you'll end up on you ass just the same.

Surly we have people in positions of power. Are they little dogs or big dogs? We hear very little out of those people in the military, and government. If they were little dogs they would be desperately and even at risk to their lives, barking their heads off, but they are not sounding off. Therefore they must be big dogs confident in their position. Logically, at least in my logic, that we see little happening given the tremendous importance of the battle, which is the fate of mankind, means that their is much taking place that we are not now aware of.

I have been reading Jack Carr's Terminal Man series. In the telling of his story he will often take an aside from the story and talk about the dangerous aspects of our corrupt, out of control government that is not answerable to we the people. He speaks terms of someone who know the threat and the stakes. He gives every impression that he is aware of the size and scope of what we would call our domestic enemy. He is one of many special operators that i believe take the oath very seriously. It is unfathomable to me that he, and those like him will ideally standby what our country is destroyed.

I keep thinking about the fact that 50% of our military is comprised of contractors. Notwithstanding their past service to our country, both of us know that money talks and everyone it is said have a price at which they can be bought. Makes me wonder of the move to start using contractors was not part of our enemies plan.

I read Zero Footprint which as written by a British forces special operator. The pin name is Simon Chase, but he hides his real name. At one point in the book he says he was offered a job by a diamond mining interest to move a tribe of Africans that refuse to sell, off some valuable land by any means necessary, He turned them down, and was even pissed that they would approach him with such unsavory offer. But he goes on to say that he is sure that someone did take the contract, and no doubt all the tribe was either run off their ancestral land, or liquidated. No doubt there are many contractors who would work for the cabal for a price.

Again, sorry for writing what amounts to a chapter in a discombobulated book here.