Ask HN: What do you think about Zoltan Istavan, transhumanist/politician
I am a cheerleader for transhumanism. But it comes in many colours and in the community, we are not all always on the same page as to what it means..<p>He is planning on running for office on transhumanist platform. Last time, he wanted to lease all national parks and public lands to industry. I stopped reading him after that. He hasn’t mentioned it this time around.<p>Here are some snippets from his Facebook page:<p>[..] Friends and adversaries of mine keep telling me the poor pay more in US taxes than the rich. This is totally untrue. In dollar terms, the rich and moderately rich are carrying this nation on their backs (just look at any Gov stat). The top 25% foot the tax bill for a large part of the service Gov provides to you. The amount the poor and bottom 75% of Americans would not be able to keep government, social services, and this nation running. We shouldn&#x27;t forget this. When comparing tax rates, we must always remember tax percentage terms are different than dollar amounts. Dollar amounts are what matter and make the world go around--what buys you food, puts gas in your car, and allows you to buy Christmas presents for your family. Tax percentages don&#x27;t do that--only actual dollars do. Over time, I endorse getting rid of the IRS and replacing Government with technology and automation. The result would be far lower taxes, if any. If I was to get into office soon, I&#x27;d cut nearly all taxes and implement a single national sales taxes to help us get to a taxless world where robots and automation run the Gov. Then no one could get percentages and dollar amounts mixed up because we all pay the same percentage. In the meantime, be grateful that the rich (both Democrats and Republicans) pay so many dollars to Uncle Sam. And stop creating this nonsense that the poor pay more in taxes than the rich. They pay far less in actual dollar terms, which is the thing the makes world go round. #UpgradingAmerica #Zoltan2020[..]<p>[..] As President, I&#x27;d cut the military, cut foreign aid, and bring home many of our troops that are abroad. We have so many issues at home that need first priority: poverty, homelessness, education, health care, Basic Income, etc. If the potential of an Iran war bothers you, make noise. It&#x27;s time to spend Government resources on Americans, and not on foreign fights in far off lands. Remember, I&#x27;ve been to many of these endless conflict places as a journalist for National Geographic. It never ends well. It&#x27;s best to try to make peace.[...]<p>[..] One of the most unpopular opinions I have is that I believe 4-year college should be mandatory in the US. (First, let me say, I would make public college free, and I plan to pay for this by saving money by emptying prisons of nonviolent drug offenders and others wastefullly imprisoned). To me, college is much more than education; it&#x27;s something that puts the finishing touches on youth and prepares them to be smart, open-minded, and responsible citizens. I do not agree that people at 18 are adults. I think it&#x27;s much closer to age 23-25 that kids become mature enough to be a so-called &quot;adult,&quot; given brain growth, social development, psychology, etc. I think many 18 years old are irresponsible, impetuous, illogical, and plain dumb. And they need more life and scholastic experience to become the best they can be. Joining an inner city gang, being a baggage handler at airlines in a union, or working on the floor at Walmart, or doing other simple and mindless tasks is not what people should be doing at age 18. A college educated person will demand more from themselves, and from their peers, and from their kids. A college educated person&#x27;s sense of logic and brain skills are dramatically improved by 4 extra years of education and life experience with sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll, to use the proverbial experience of college. Furthermore, in the age of expanding lifespans, it&#x27;s also important to educate our youth more. Laws of mandatory high school were passed in the 1960s, when lifespans were about 63 on average. They&#x27;re near 80 now, and soon new transhumanism sciences like genetic editing will take them above 100 and further. BUT mostly, without 4 extra years of college and brain development, too many Americans end up unsuccessful and relying partially on government support. It&#x27;s a well known fact proven again and again that the college educated widley outdo the uneducated in overall prosperty, length of marriages, happniess, staying out of jail, etc. It&#x27;s makes good sense to ask all our American youth to go to college. (I would make some minor exceptions to this mandatory rule, such as professional athletes, military recruits, nonprofit apprentiships, start-up careers, etc.) But the majority of Americans age 18 would go to college. That is something that would forever change America for the better, and give our nation a leg up on other countries. In the age when robots will also start taking over so many menial jobs, it&#x27;s also a good thing. Remember, going to college is not about choosing a career making money, it&#x27;s about becoming as smart and accomplished of an individual as you can become to prepare you for whatever life will throw at you. I think every American deserves that preparation. I think every American youth deserves a nation that wants them to become as successful as possible. #UpgradingAmerica #Zoltan2020[..]<p>[..] To me, my ideas seem logicial, but they&#x27;re always taken as controversial. And that&#x27;s constantly getting me in trouble on the campaign trail. I talk about helping disabled people with technology and get called an ableist. I think parents that can&#x27;t feed their children shouldn&#x27;t be allowed to have them and I get called an authoritarian. I think we should aim to overcome all disease and death with science and I get called a tool of the devil or the Antichrist. It&#x27;s just astounding to me how illogical so many people are--both liberals and conservatives. If you&#x27;re sick of all the BS, lies, and irrationality, join me in standing up for what&#x27;s reasonable and right. #UpgradingAmerica #Zoltan2020[..]