transhumanpraxis

37 Pillars: 9. The Principle of FOCUS (with note on Fundamentalism)

transhumanpraxis — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:12:32 +0000

This post is part of a series, describing the 1 Goal, 8 Principles, 16 Projects, and 12 Founding Groups of the Zero State movement. The Principles described in this series are considered to constitute the Zero State Principles (V1.1) (Version 2.0 – officially known as “Zero State Principles: Year 1″ – will be released on May 1st, 2012).

So far I have been writing about specific ZS Principles that deal with concepts such as work toward a better future, taking action rather than being distracted by pointless conversation, and seeking a reasonable balance between different points of view. The eighth and final Principle necessarily touches upon all of these things, because it is a kind of mnemonic, or memory-symbol, which incorporates and reminds us of all of the others. Essentially, it is a way to easily remember the other seven Principles, and as such is primarily concerned with the concept of concentration, or focus.

Before presenting the 8th Principle itself, I would like to make a brief comment on its intended spirit. As mentioned above, it is intended to encapsulate all of the previous Principles, concisely and memorably. All of the Principles are represented, but if one were to be emphasised above the others, ironically, it would be the Principle of BALANCE. I would like to briefly comment on the implications of such a point of view.

As I write, there is a heated debate playing out in Britain which seems strange here, but is the kind of thing we hear about in America all the time. It has been ruled that City Councils may not include prayers in their meetings, for the simple reason that it alienates non-Christians who are required to attend these meetings. A vocal religious lobby have claimed that this is yet another example of a “creeping secularism” which supposedly seeks to ban organised religion from the public sphere. My view is mixed. On the one hand, this argument is clearly disingenuous – the ruling was to protect individuals from being coerced by religious people who sought for their beliefs to be enshrined in a kind of “default” state… basically they want their belief system to be privileged above all others. Their arguments clearly reflect this, when they protest that Britain is a “Christian nation”. I wonder how the native pagans felt about that idea when they were being forcibly converted, all those Centuries ago. Essentially, this is a belief system whose proponents seek to impose it in an authoritarian way, and this is entirely unacceptable.

That said, I did read one interesting critique from the religious side, where it was said that secularism itself is a belief system which seeks dominance under the guise of “neutrality”. Most secularists would deny this, and in most cases I think they’d be right to do so – I do not believe that there is some grand Secularist conspiracy to destroy religion. That’s the kind of thing that Fundamentalists and fanatics believe. However, it is a perfect description of what I want to do with ZS: To make such a profound virtue of neutrality that those committed to this Principle will actively work to erode the power of any particularist belief system which is trying to “get above its station”, as the Victorians used to say. In other words, ZS is the very epitome of the kind of conspiracy that the Fundamentalists say is creeping across the land like a disease… and boy, we haven’t even got started yet.

Such a point of view raises a lot of implications that are deep, and not always immediately apparent. For a start, religious points of view must be acknowledged within such a system, no matter how much atheists may dislike it, and no one religion may be allowed to forcibly suppress others. The same goes for areas of concern outside religion, such as politics, macro-economics, and business. Our chosen society must be a system whose functions are balanced… as in a biological organism, when one part of society attempts to grow throughout all other parts, then we may rightly call it a cancer, and seek to return it to a state of natural, balanced function by whatever means necessary. Of course anyone may attempt to characterise the balancing system itself as a societal cancer in the same way (as religious Fundamentalists already do), but they would be wrong to do so, simply because this system has no agenda of its own other than to introduce and maintain balance. It does not seek to destroy any other belief system or part of society, as a core matter of Principle. The system is neutrality incarnate, with the strongest emphasis upon personal and individual liberty possible within this framework.

Last but not least, I would like to make clear the distinction between this Zero State model of firm neutrality, and the kind of politically correct “cultural relativism” espoused by Postmodernists. Of course, these things are similar insofar as they accord everyone the right to having their particular point of view considered valid – even sacrosanct. However, the Postmodernist would then suggest that we cannot judge anyone, on any objective basis, because of this. Nothing is ever considered wrong in any deep sense. I am opposed to this approach. The brand of “firm neutrality” I stand for is one in which each is left to their own devices, right up until they cross a “line in the sand” and attempt to coerce others within society in any way whatsoever. At that point, their “point of view” is considered to have no worth or defence whatsoever, until it once again learns to respect the parameters and place which afford the protection within society that it enjoys.

Similarly, the idea of firm neutrality within a Principled Community should not be confused with a rejection of evidence and reason! It is not to say that we will allow ourselves to become confused as to what is true, in the sense of what knowledge is useful for predicting physical phenomena. All it means is that people should have the freedom to explore their own values and beliefs, to the extent that they do not coerce others, within such a society.

On a final, almost certainly controversial note, I would like to suggest that this worldview has many similarities with the society of Imperial Rome. On an international level, Rome was utterly incompatible with our Principles because its wars of conquest were clearly coercive. On that level, our equivalent is simply to offer information about and membership of our Principled Community as widely as possible, with no respect for national boundaries or authoritarian limitation of any kind. Within the Empire of Rome itself, however, freedom of belief was paramount, insofar as you did not reject the very foundations of that freedom – i.e. Rome itself. This held true until the time of Constantine, when Christianity became the State religion, and started a program of forced conversion of pagans. When the pagan Romans came to rule a new land, they had insisted upon respecting the local religious cults, and even incorporating them into the wider Roman Pantheon. Monotheistic religions, on the other hand – and other belief systems which insist upon a single ideological view above all other concerns – make a point of trying to tell everyone what to believe (and what will happen to them if they don’t!). I will reiterate again – any such imposition may be rightly regarded as a cancer, and cancers must be stopped before their influence has spread too far throughout the organism.

Principle 8: FOCUS

So that our Principles may be easily kept in mind and acted upon, they are conceived of as together constituting a single symbol. That symbol is of a capital letter “Z” and its mirror image, touching back-to-back, and is known as the ZS symbol. The symbol is considered to be composed of seven points (the four corners, and three vertices of the central triangle); one per Principle.

The Principles may also be remembered through the use of a mnemonic phrase. The Latin words for each Principle are as follows:

Communitas (Community) – Aequitas (Balance) – Operari (Work)
Mutare (Change) – Libertas (Liberty)
Actio (Action) – Constructio (Construction)

The first letters of these words map on to the sentence “Carpe Aestum Occursurum, Minue Lamias, Abole Carcerem!” (which means “Seize the Coming Tide, Bleed the Vampires, Abolish the Prison!”).

Alternatively, the same letters can be used to spell the Latin word “Cloacam”, which means ‘sewer’ and comes from a root word meaning ‘to Cleanse‘. This mnemonic is meant in the same spirit in which the name Kalkin comes from the Sanskrit word for ‘filth’, and in mythology means “Destroyer of Filth”.

English mnemonics may be easier to use, such as:

Bringing Accelerated Change of Life and Wisdom.
(where the one ‘C’ stands for three Principles)

Collectively We Can Cure Agony, Bring Longevity.

37 Pillars: 8. The Principle of BALANCE

transhumanpraxis — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:40:04 +0000

Principle 7: BALANCE

Philosophies which assert the complete primacy of a single idea, method, force, principle, person, or faction are inherently unbalanced. They sacrifice entire systems or societies for their own, limited concerns. Balance of forces and concerns is critical to the success of any system, and to the wellbeing of citizens in any society.

Science, art, philosophy, and technology as tools we use to understand and shape the world must be used in a balanced way. Similarly, the Zero State must balance innovation and trade with protection of the community and environment.

Science, art, philosophy, and their sub-disciplines are to be regarded as having equal value in our work. This does not mean that scientific and artistic products have been or can be judged by any single criterion, but that technology and scientific process do not exist in a vacuum, but rather in a cultural context. Art and culture influence people, and the ways in which people will relate to technology and science. The Zero State affords these processes equal respect as a matter of principle.

Considered action is to be emphasized over purely theoretical concerns. Philosophy, conversation, and deep consideration have great value, but to be of utmost value they must eventually be grounded in concrete action of some type.

Although false and transitory beliefs can occasionally have utility, we must ensure that rational and critical appraisal is developed, allowing citizens of the Zero State to detect false beliefs and assumptions, deliberate or accidental.

The current global economic system is deeply dysfunctional. This dysfunction is not a result of specific crises, but is endemic, designed into the very basis of the system. This dysfunction causes widespread suffering, and therefore must be stopped. Removal of dysfunctional systems must coincide with implementation of functional alternatives. The Zero State operates an alternative economy with two components, outlined below.

(1) External Trade: A system for trade with exterior systems using different forms of currency and regulations. Public debt and debt trading within and on behalf of the Zero State are strictly forbidden.

(2) Publici Juris: All goods and services are created and shared among citizens with no use of monetary economy whatsoever. Sale of such goods and services to ZS citizens, or use of any emergent currency within the ZS sphere of influence is strictly prohibited. The rule of Publici Juris is only practicable in virtual or online environments, or where the goods or services in question do not exist in a state of scarcity (natural or artificial).

Where the rule of Publici Juris is not yet practicable, effort should be made to operate in such a way that will make later implementation of Publici Juris more, rather than less, feasible. One such interim measure is to ensure that ZS members are not discouraged from advantageous exchanges, by using decentralised alternative currencies or certified ZS trading partners where money of some form is necessary.

Where possible, citizens of the Zero State will encourage abandonment of non-replaceable fossil fuels at the first possible opportunity. Where it is possible to combine such initiatives with technological development (e.g. Space Based Solar Power driving a sustainable hydrocarbon energy economy), we should attempt to do so.

As activity is decentralized and locally oriented, waste is to be minimized where possible. This includes local recycling in physical environments rather than export to centralized waste management centres, but also an emphasis on telecommuting (working via shared virtual environments and other electronic networks) rather than unnecessary physical travel.

37 Pillars: 7. The Principle of WORK

transhumanpraxis — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:46:51 +0000

The ZS Principles as a whole represent the thought of a number of unnamed authors, and so the Zero State itself is considered to be their author. In the case of Principles 6 (WORK) and 7 (BALANCE) I would like to informally acknowledge the assistance of Dirk Bruere, David Pearce, Henry Rivera and Kelly Anderson, all of whom helped to explore and resolve the issue of potential conflict between these two Principles.

Principle 6: WORK

We want a new, healthy society – a new future – which embraces the compassionate use of technology to solve problems, reject Authoritarianism and uncontrolled Capitalism, and embrace the principles of freedom, democracy, and transparency of government.

Where there is unwanted suffering, we will seek to abolish it. The point of our highest goal is to work toward a society in which involuntary suffering has been abolished by the considered, compassionate application of technology.

We seek to instill compassion in ourselves and our sentient creations, which may eventually succeed us in power. This is a matter of not only virtue and leading by example, but potentially of self preservation.

In assessing the sentience of any entity, we will use capacity for suffering as a factor in our judgment. We will not cause suffering to any sentient entity for scientific or any other purpose where there is any alternative, particularly where the alternative encourages technological development, such as advanced non-invasive scanning technologies.

Ignorance causes suffering, and so we must work to spread accurate knowledge where it will help others at no significant risk to ourselves.

We seek to promote ZS Principles, mutual support programs, increased knowledge, expanded consciousness, good health, and prolonged life.

Insofar as it does not violate other Principles, we seek to treat others with respect. We aim to treat them as they would wish to be treated, and will not treat them as they do not wish to be treated.

Coercion and aggression are forbidden, but we may act to prevent involuntary suffering, which includes comprehensive action in defence of the Zero State. Defensive action must only be taken when necessary, and later justified in full to the citizens of ZS.

We must demonstrate flexibility and agility in all judgment and decision making. We do not commit to extended plans which only decrease the chances of success, and must be ready to adapt at a moment’s notice. Do not over-commit to a certain course of action until the decisive moment arrives.

When work toward any goal is considered, heed the following four points: (1) Employ all available forces with utmost energy. (2) Concentrate where the critical action is to be taken. (3) Lose no time, and surprise competitors. (4) Follow up success with the utmost energy.

Our work must be based on local, replicable models, which can be efficiently scaled up to deal with larger issues. Thus, the local community is always of immediate importance, and efficient communication with others is critical. Where the work in question is primarily based in virtual space, “local” means small groups and functional communities, as opposed to high-level organizational groups. Where ZS activity has an influence in physical space, “local” refers both to small communities and the geographic areas associated with them.

When working toward the abolition of involuntary suffering, or on behalf of the Zero State in any other way, always be sure to heed the Principles of BALANCE and LIBERTY. As a matter of BALANCE, we must remember that ‘negative’ emotions should be engineered only insofar as this does not compromise any critical motivational role in behaviour that cannot be replaced.

Also remember that involuntary suffering often represents a state of imbalance of some sort, and that our aim is not to eliminate ‘negative’ emotions, but to optimize emotional function for minimal involuntary suffering. Optimization is a process which may be considered in terms of achieving balance between necessary and desired elements. As a matter of LIBERTY we must remember that we seek only to address involuntary suffering.

37 Pillars: 6. The Principle of COMMUNITY

transhumanpraxis — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:05:38 +0000

Principle 5: COMMUNITY

Zero State is a futurist movement, exploring the impact of accelerating technological growth on society, economics, politics, and the human condition, through science and art. We are working to build a Distributed Autonomous Community (DAC) – the Zero State – and to ensure fair treatment and mutual support for its citizens. “Mutual support” means that ZS citizens should help each other as a matter of priority when such help can be given without any significant cost to themselves.

Access to this new society is free and open to all would-be citizens, and participation and membership in all aspects of the Zero State are strictly voluntary, as a matter of Principle. We will, however, endeavour to offer full access and membership as widely as possible. This and other points of Principle act as the ethical and ideological centre of the Zero State.

The phrase “Principled Community” can be used to refer to a community committed to the ZS Principles generally, and to Principle 5 in particular. Among these, the emphasis on voluntary membership is particularly important, so the phrase “Voluntary Community” may also be used by citizens to refer to the Zero State.

37 Pillars: 5. The Principle of ACTION.

transhumanpraxis — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:23:54 +0000

Principle 4: ACTION

Philosophy and ideology must serve action toward achieving our goals, rather than distracting from such action. Debate and consideration are good, as long as they are grounded in concrete effort based upon clear planning. Responsibility for taking action and the consequences of that action must be assumed by each individual, working to lead efforts themselves rather than waiting to be told what to do. This point can be summarized simply as: Just Do It.

We are not aware of any other group with our views and approach. People sometimes ask if we are like other groups, such as those which advocate the abolition of government, or global Technocracy. We are not. Our emphasis is upon concrete action toward building our own Principled Community, for the benefit and mutual support of our members.

You can get involved through discussion, immediate action, or both. You are welcome to drop in and introduce yourself on the Doctrine Zero mailing list, the Facebook group, or the ZS Forum. To get involved immediately, send an email to one of the Project or Domain leaders and ask or suggest ways in which you might help.

There are multiple types of membership within the Zero State, some more committed than others. Although you may contribute via mailing lists, social network groups or local action groups for free, full official membership costs a small annual fee. Official members are offered access to events and resources which non-members are not, and are afforded full voting rights within all organizations which constitute the core of the Zero State network. You may enquire about becoming a full ZS member by sending an email with your name to: membership@zerostate.net.

37 Pillars: 4. The Principle of CONSTRUCTION

transhumanpraxis — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:36:03 +0000

Principle 3: CONSTRUCTION

We are not nihilists, in that we believe in working with and using those aspects of society which have value, in order to address those which do not. For example, we are not in any way ‘anti-human’, but we believe that we can, and should, improve the human condition and environment using technology. This desire to develop the positive and eliminate the negative should be understood as being in the spirit of positive, creative, and constructive effort.

We emphasise action, and a balance between art and science, by pursuing 16 core projects. Although the number of ZS-affiliated initiatives has been larger than this number from the outset, the core projects act as both a strong organizational infrastructure, and – in conjunction with the Zero State Principles – as a constant reminder of our original intentions.

The Principle of Construction must also be applied in all ZS discussion, debate, and planning. When any ZS discussant makes critical comments while leaving their own proposals or views unstated, others – even non-members – will be supported in their right to call for immediate and explicit statement of such proposals or views. In other words, we must work to make our speech constructive, and will not engage in or support non-constructive forms of debate.

37 Pillars: 3. The Principle of LIBERTY

transhumanpraxis — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:13:40 +0000

The Zero State movement is strongly committed to personal liberty, and indeed our single goal is to develop and implement a system geared entirely toward global, personal emancipation through technology. Although a ZS member may be a Libertarian, and there is a notable history of Libertarian Transhumanism (primarily US-based), Zero State itself is not a Libertarian movement.

[EDIT: Some brief comments on Libertarianism have been removed from this introduction. This is because the issue of compatibility between Libertarian points of view and the ZS Principles is complicated, and currently under review.]

The Zero State Principle of LIBERTY is as follows -

Principle 2: LIBERTY

Personal liberty and equality of opportunity are of paramount importance within the Zero State, and always apply insofar as such freedoms are not used as a tool to reduce the freedoms of others.

The Zero State is fully distributed, with Principles being enacted on a local basis. As such, there is no central point of focus which makes the entire system vulnerable. Power, in the Zero State, is in the hands of the citizens, in partnership with guidance-giving leaders.

The best form of government is the least intrusive government. Zero State leaders do not encumber other citizens unnecessarily, and only make their presence felt where guidance regarding Principle and action are required in order to achieve the goals of the Zero State.

Direct democratic activity should be embraced locally, with every citizen taking some personal responsibility for locally enacting the Principles and taking action. Representative, rather than direct, democracy may only be employed where representatives have only local powers, and are frequently replaced. Such representatives may only exist to facilitate direct, local democracy, rather than replace it.

Transparency of governance and administration is vital to the health of the Zero State and its Principles. For that reason, unjustified censorship is permissable under only the most extreme and temporary circumstances, and the appropriate justification for any censorship must be made available upon request by any interested party within ZS. Similarly, all leaders within ZS are to be held accountable for their decisions and actions to all citizens of the State. In the first instance, such accountability should take the form of transparent decision making where possible.

Where any aspect of governance or administration is considered unacceptable, citizens are free to leave the Zero State sphere of influence of their own accord, with no influence or interference being permitted on the part of others. Leaders must note such action as a form of valid protest, and duly consider revision of their guidance.

All freedoms and advantages of the Zero State must be offered to as wide a circle of sentient entities as possible. Participation in ZS must always be optional, but we should work to make that option available as widely as possible.

37 Pillars: 2. The Principle of CHANGE

transhumanpraxis — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:32:56 +0000

The universe is a place of constant change; of process and flux. We have no evidence for anything that is permanent and eternal, other than change itself. As observed by Gautama Buddha and others, all suffering in the world can be described as being caused by clinging to something impermanent. Some, such as certain Buddhists and Gnostics, have interpreted this to mean that they should renounce attachment to all things.

The alternative view, again embraced by certain Buddhists and Gnostics, is that an impermanent existence can be viewed as a thing of Joy. Some of the most enjoyable and valuable things we know are so exactly because of their obvious impermanence. Accepting change does not mean making a virtue of death (as in, engagement with impermanent things is bad, therefore don’t strive for anything), but of avoiding stasis and stagnation, and accepting life in its full, ever-changing glory. This is a deep philosophy of liberation from limiting conditions.

This is an attitude which comes naturally to Transhumanists, because we eschew the idea of human limitations, a permanent human form, and permanent death. If everything is subject to change, then that includes us, and we might as well explore the positive aspects of the situation!

The first Principle of the Zero State movement is about change, and its relationship to our goal of total societal renewal through the positive development and use of technology.

Principle 1: CHANGE

“Zero” means total renewal : social, political, technological, environmental, and spiritual. A technologically driven, total societal “reset” to zero must include new approaches to government, individual empowerment, accelerating technological advance, and approaches to the world’s problems founded in a new psychology.

A wave of technological change unprecedented in human history is coming, and it will sweep away the world we know. Technological development and its effects on culture are accelerating exponentially. After a critical rate of change is reached, the sum of previous human knowledge important to the new civilization will reduce to zero. The terms ‘Zero State’ and ‘Doctrine Zero’ may also be taken to refer to our lack of certainty in knowing what the future holds, beyond that point.

Although we cannot predict exactly what will happen, we expect that Artificial and Augmented Intelligence (AI) will develop the potential to solve the world’s problems, while Virtual Reality (VR) and nanotechnologies will develop the potential to recreate the world and its inhabitants.

We recognize that advanced technologies often pose risks in addition to offering promise. Rather than being paralyzed by precaution, we must work to mitigate risks while maximizing positive outcomes. Maximization of the survivability and value of technology is the long-term goal of the Zero State.

Technology and the advantages it confers must be preserved as a matter of priority. Unless a certain technology poses specific risks, then fundamental opposition to it on political, philosophical or religious grounds is contrary to the Zero State ethos. Deep consideration and debate of technological risks and advantages is, however, to be encouraged.

As our control over reality and perception grows, we must aspire to truth and exploration. We expect that the use of technology toward transcendence in a transhumanist context leads us to a worldview in which successive alterations to the human condition may allow us to apprehend wider vistas of reality than those previously directly perceived by humans.

All advantages and rights which apply to ZS citizens are automatically offered to all sentient entities within the ZS sphere of influence, including sentient entities which others may consider to be property or ‘non-persons’ of any sort. For example, sentient entities taking the form of animals, fictional characters, historical recreations, or any type of avatar will be afforded the same rights as any other citizen of ZS.

The work of the Zero State takes place initially, and primarily, in virtual space. There we have greater power to explore and manipulate the environment, and it is easier to safely contain any experiments. As a virtual State we aim to escape subjection to the tyrannies of geography and the traditional nation-state.

Commitment to virtual space does not mean, however, that we consider ourselves earthbound. On the contrary, our commitment to exploration includes that of off-world environments. The virtual State will afford a common cultural platform for physically distributed ZS communities. Exploration and colonization of space in posthuman form are imperative, both to satisfy the Zero State Principles, and to maximize the likelihood of our long-term survival.

Our mission is to transcend our limitations through the use of technology, and with their explicit permission, to help others toward such transcendence. Transhumanism is central to our vision of the future of civilization. This is defined as an imperative to technologically increase intelligence, expand consciousness, enhance our physical bodies, and defeat disease of all types.

The 37 Pillars of Zero State

transhumanpraxis — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:52:58 +0000

“Never collect any kind of interest on your money, or profit on the food you give.”

- Leviticus 25:37

Shevat is the Hebrew month (5th or 11th depending upon the calendar you use) which tends to fall in January or February in the Gregorian calendar. It is said that on the first day of Shevat in the year 2488, Moses began a public 37-day review of the Torah. After finishing on the 37th day, as if to emphasise that these were his final words on all theological matters, he died.

As far as dramatic statements of intent go, that’s a good story. Today – 25th January 2012 – is also the first day of Shevat. Not wanting to let a dramatic opportunity slip past, I have decided to clearly summarize the nature and intent of Zero State in a series of 37 statements, one per day, starting today. I’d rather not die when the series is completed on March 1st, if it can possibly be helped.

Seriously though, the story of Moses’ last 37 days caught my eye and strikes me as a remarkable coincidence because I already had it in mind that Zero State should be built upon a set of 25 principles and projects, plus a founding set of 12 already-established groups coming together to form a new goal-oriented community (part of my membership drive strategy for this year).

More specifically, this series of 37 posts will be structured as follows:

1 Goal:

REVOLUTION

8 Principles:

CHANGE
LIBERTY
CONSTRUCTION
ACTION
COMMUNITY
WORK
BALANCE
FOCUS

16 Projects:

12 Groups:

Collectively, I will refer to these as the 37 Pillars of Zero State.

1. GOAL

Since its inception eight months ago, there has been considerable discussion of what it means for ZS to be goal- and action-oriented, what ZS’ core meme is, and how that might relate to the word “Zero”.

We now understand that Zero refers to a total societal reset or renewal – a new beginning. A full-spectrum evaluation of what is good and bad in society, leading to development of the former, and abolition of the latter. Most notably, we believe in working toward the abolition of involuntary suffering by all means necessary. We also foresee a coming wave of technological change which will both make such renewal possible, and render null our ability to predict the future beyond that wave.

Zero State intends to gather together groups formerly seen as disparate, newly united by common agreement upon a set of good and fair basic principles, in order to create a greater, distributed community, and work on a local level around the world.

Together, these things constitute a common focus, trajectory, and method, but one last and most important thing is required: A single, clear, tractable and unifying goal. The goal must be our “big idea”. With one undisputed goal, a multitude of people with different ideas and approaches will still be working together, effectively, as one. Without such a goal, there is no movement, only chaos.

Our goal is REVOLUTION.

Opposition to revolution – to change – is defence of the status quo, so as the old saying goes; You’re either with us, or against us.

None of this should be taken to infer mindless aggression or adherence to any particular political point of view; it simply means that we intend to act vigorously as the agents of deep, global change.

In practical terms, our goal is to:

1) Create a system – compatible with our principles – by which any person anywhere in the world, any citizen of any State without exception, can access resources through the Zero State network. For example, a person who cannot get certain essential goods or services for lack of money should be able to find some kind of solution via ZS for free, or as close to free as possible. A person who is in some way oppressed by local law or tradition should be able to find support – and ideally liberation – through ZS-affiliated agents. In short, we aim to realise our principles and make the resultant benefits of Principled Community available to everyone, everywhere.

2) Act to have this system adopted and implemented by the European Union by all means necessary. ZS members whose sphere of personal influence is outside the EU should work to make local conditions more receptive to connecting to such a system – for the benefit of local people.

Our revolution is global, but centred in the European tradition of political liberation. We work to overcome those who would systematically limit, exploit, and oppress others. We fight to create an open State that exists beyond local control and limitation of every type.

- Amon Kalkin

Why are we charging for ZS membership?

transhumanpraxis — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:10:19 +0000

As I was saying yesterday, applications for free ZS membership are now open. If you apply for membership before the end of February 2012, you will have free membership until March 1st, 2013 (details at the bottom of this post).

One or two people have asked me why we’re charging at all. Isn’t the spirit of the times for everything to be free, and doesn’t charging for membership sound a bit like something the Scientologists would do?

The ZS membership model is based upon that used by political parties. After all, membership includes eligibility to also hold (free) membership of the ZS-affiliated political party (details to be announced soon), should you want it. It’s actually a better deal than you’d get from any political party though; I didn’t mention it yesterday, but we’d be open to granting free membership to people who simply can’t afford £15 a year and who could find some other, non-financial way of showing the appropriate level of commitment. We’re supposed to be fostering new approaches to old problems, after all.

Broadly speaking, there are two reasons why we’ll be charging membership for anyone who applies from March 1st onward. These are:

1) We’re trying to do real work, and real work costs money.

As I’m sure you know, ZS is pursuing a range of projects with concrete goals. We have no money, and the sad fact is that lack of money tends to severely limit opportunities. Some of our projects might one day enable us to make a profit, to be fed back into the movement, and others are the kind of “blue sky” research that is never likely to turn a profit and therefore must be subsidised. On an even more obvious level, we intend to put on meetings and special events for members, and we’re going to need money to make these things happen. The various ZS founders have experience in various wings of the transhumanist and other movements, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that passing around a hat for donations at small meetings just doesn’t get you very far. We need to be more organised than that, if we want to achieve anything of significance.

2) People tend not to value that which is given to them for free.

It’s an unfortunate fact of human psychology, but when we haven’t had to work for something or show some sign of real commitment, we tend to take things for granted. Right now, ZS is in the unfortunate position of working just as hard for casual visitors who don’t actually care about our views or goals (perhaps are even opposed to them!) as we do for people who share our vision and would like to pitch in and help make it a reality, for shared, communal benefit. This set of circumstances cannot be allowed to continue. Basically, we are asking people to show – in one way or another – that they are actually committed to our Principles and projects, and in turn we will show that we are committed to, and give priority to, our members. That is one of the many things I mean by “mutual support” – working on behalf of those who are committed to the ZS community and its ideals, above and beyond others who have made no such commitment.

OK… so what do members get that’s worth £15 a year?

Well, for a start, let me point out that everything that is currently free – e.g. access to the various lists, social network groups and forums – will remain free. Those are places where official members and anyone else who follows the House Rules (simple netiquette, really) can discuss matters relevant to ZS freely.

Official members will automatically have voting rights and equivalent privileges at the level of standard membership in every organization officially affiliated with Zero State. If it’s part of the ZS network, then payment of the one fee has made you a member. Some parts of the network will have slightly different rules for members and non-members… for example, if a Doctrine Zero email list member breaks the rules and gets unsubscribed, whether they get to re-join later or not depends upon whether they’re an official member. That reduces the scope for random people coming in and causing trouble because they feel like it.

We are already working on special events which are only open to official ZS members, events which will be discounted or free for ZS members, and ticketed events which will be offered to official ZS members first. As we think of more things we can offer to official members we will announce them as loudly as possible, and are keen to hear suggestions from any quarter.

As I mentioned above, if you’re strongly committed to ZS but have a real issue with paying £15 a year, I would suggest that you sign up now (thus getting one year for free), refer as many people as possible (i.e. get them to mention you in their application emails) and thereby hopefully win 5 or even 10 years free membership, and when time comes that you’re actually asked to pay something, make us some kind of alternative offer (and make it imaginative!). At heart we’re perfectly reasonable people who just want a hollowed-out volcano from which to hatch world domination plots, so I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement!

Until the end of February 2012 (and no later) we will be making official ZS membership free; membership being defined by having your name and email address listed in a (strictly private and secure) ZS database. From March 1st 2012, membership will cost £15 per year. Those who join before the end of February will be accorded full membership status for free until March 1st, 2013.

There will be advantages to membership announced periodically, such as offers, special event invitations etc made only to official members. Each member will be assigned a membership number and sent a welcome/information message. We will aim to reach an official membership of 1,000 by the end of February, if not sooner.

Anyone can obtain their free membership by sending an email to membership@zerostate.net

Mails should include the applicant’s name, and the name of the person who referred them (if anyone). That email address is now active. You will receive a confirmation email with membership number within 24 hours. If you include any kind of personal message in the email, then we cannot guarantee a response, depending upon the volume of emails received.

To add a bit of fun to proceedings and speed things up, I would like to announce that the ZS member who refers the most new members before the end of February (i.e. whose name is mentioned to us in emails from unique applicants) will receive 10 years free ZS membership (worth £150). Two runners-up will each receive 5 years free ZS membership.