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Adam Alonzi Interviews G. Stolyarov II on Indefinite Life Extension and “Death is Wrong”

Adam Alonzi Interviews G. Stolyarov II on Indefinite Life Extension and “Death is Wrong”

The New Renaissance Hat
G. Stolyarov II and Adam Alonzi
February 22, 2015
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Today I had a pleasant and erudite discussion with Adam Alonzi regarding the feasibility and desirability of attaining indefinite longevity in our lifetimes, as well as Death is Wrong and its impact.

References

Adam Alonzi’s YouTube Channel
Adam Alonzi Reads Death is Wrong

Three Ethical Arguments Against Affirmative Action (2003) – Article by G. Stolyarov II

Three Ethical Arguments Against Affirmative Action (2003) – Article by G. Stolyarov II

The New Renaissance Hat
G. Stolyarov II
July 7, 2014
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Note from the Author: This essay was originally written in 2003 and published on Associated Content (subsequently, Yahoo! Voices) in 2007. It has been one of my most-read articles, earning over 66,000 page views, and I seek to preserve it as a valuable resource for readers, subsequent to the imminent closure of Yahoo! Voices. Therefore, this essay is being published directly on The Rational Argumentator for the first time. 
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~ G. Stolyarov II, July 7, 2014
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It is time we cease judging people based on the color of their skin and focus on their true character. For three pivotal considerations – that affirmative action harms its intended beneficiaries, that it punishes the most innocent and industrious of persons, and that it defies an essentially individualistic American work ethic – it is imperative to abolish this truly racist practice.

Affirmative-action policy advocates claim that their target is to aid previously persecuted minorities, yet, in reality, such initiatives harm their intended beneficiaries. Thomas Sowell, an African-American researcher at the Hoover Institute at Stanford, reveals that “today many Americans will refuse to visit a black physician or dentist because of their assumption that he or she was admitted both to medical school and to the position held through ‘special preferences’, set-aside quotas, and relaxed standards. The same is true for many other professionals and for other beneficiaries of ‘affirmative action.'” Even if a minority professional is a qualified, rational practitioner, he or she will be shunned due to the stereotype, created by affirmative action, that he or she is a puppet of special interest wars.

Moreover, affirmative action punishes non-minority workers and students, many of whom are the most innocent and industrious of persons. According to libertarian activist Aaron Biterman of Endicott College, Massachusetts, through affirmative action “people are kept down because of the past actions of their ancestors. The innocent are punished because of what the guilty have done. At the University of California Davis in 2002, every 16 out of 100 openings were automatically given to minority students. What happens to white students who may be smarter than the minority students? The white students are left behind because, if they aren’t left behind, ‘racism’ is screamed.”

At the University of Michigan, according to Pepperdine University Economics Professor Stephen Yates, being black automatically counts 20 points toward admission, while a perfect SAT score earns only 12 points. The sins of some Caucasian people’s fathers, for which current generations bear zero responsibility, are sufficient to deny white males today education and jobs for which they are more than capable, thus ruining their lives.

A third crucial reason for the abolition of this practice is that affirmative action defies an essentially individualistic American work ethic. Let us reflect upon those American Jews and Japanese Americans whom the FDR administration had either locked in concentration camps or denied entry into the United States. Biterman presents the following argument: “Are the Jews and Japanese asking for affirmative action? No. Because the Jews and the Japanese have made it in America through the only way you can make it in America: hard work, smart investing, and personal responsibility. Groups such as African-Americans, Hispanics, and women should learn from the experiences of their oppressed brethren.” Skin color, gender, and ethnicity are inconsequential in a capitalist system; merit is consequential, and is the reason why Jews and Japanese are no longer “oppressed minorities”, but happily thriving members of the “majority,” however defined. On the contrary, affirmative action destroys the ethic of merit. Reporter Steven Plaut elaborates, “If a woman [or any ‘minority member’] happens to be the most qualified person for a position, then she will be automatically hired by anyone whose self-interest [so] dictates…. There is no reason for quotas or double standards in hiring. Such quotas ensure only one thing: that the person hired will not be the most qualified. After all, that is the whole point of reverse discrimination!”

“I have a dream that my four little children shall one day inhabit a world where they will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Let us at last heed the words of Dr. King, champion of a color-blind culture, and encourage judgment only based on one’s individual merit in matters of education and employment. Because affirmative action harms its intended beneficiaries, punishes the most innocent and industrious of persons, and defies an essentially individualistic American work ethic, it is time to terminate this abominable practice.

Short Review of New Children’s Book, “Death is Wrong” – Article by B. J. Murphy

Short Review of New Children’s Book, “Death is Wrong” – Article by B. J. Murphy

The New Renaissance Hat
B. J. Murphy
December 14, 2013
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The qualm of death is a very uneasy burden we all suffer from. We dedicate hours of our time, spent in colloquy, discussing the myriad risks of life, though subsequently the tender rage to resist to ensure that life lives on. But then, when do we spend our time in preparing our children – the next generation – for what is to come, what is to discuss, and what is to fight for?

I believe this wonderful children’s book, provided by the Stolyarovs, is a very grand step forward in achieving this. Not too grammatically complex, and not too excruciatingly simplistic, Death is Wrong is a blunt dose of reality, quick to the punch and holding nothing back. This is the book I wish I’d have read as a young child.

As science matures and technology continues growing at an exponential pace, especially in the medical sector, the words written here in this book will not only live on forever via the vast archives of historical literature, they will live on forever through the lives of the indefinitely extended – the cyborgs, the transhumans, the posthumans, etc.

While certainly not religious myself, I believe this loosely correlated – albeit relevant – quote from the Judeo-Christian bible will suffice as final remarks in tribute of this book’s noble message to you, the reader:

“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” – 1 Corinthians 15:26

B. J. Murphy publishes The Proactionary Transhumanist blog, where this review originally appeared

Death is Wrong - by Gennady Stolyarov II, Illustrated by Wendy Stolyarov

Death is Wrong – by Gennady Stolyarov II, Illustrated by Wendy Stolyarov

Purchase

Kindle Format | Paperback Format (Amazon, CreateSpace)

MILE Activist Contest Entry: Distribution of “Death is Wrong” – by G. Stolyarov II

MILE Activist Contest Entry: Distribution of “Death is Wrong” – by G. Stolyarov II

The New Renaissance Hat
G. Stolyarov II
December 7, 2013
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This is my entry into the Movement for Indefinite Life Extension (MILE) Activist Contest, regarding how one would spend a hypothetical $5,000 to “inform as many people as possible about the desirability and the prospects for indefinite life extension”.

Death is Wrong (currently available on Amazon and Createspace) is my ambitious new book for children and for life-extension advocates of all ages, concisely introducing the major reasons for the feasibility and desirability of indefinite life extension.

Death is Wrong - by Gennady Stolyarov II, Illustrated by Wendy Stolyarov

Death is Wrong – by Gennady Stolyarov II, Illustrated by Wendy Stolyarov

My proposal for the MILE Activist Contest entails spending $5,000 to distribute Death is Wrong to as broad an audience as possible.

As the author, I am able to obtain paperback copies of Death is Wrong at a highly discounted price of $3.79 per copy. 1,000 copies could be obtained at a cost of $3,790. The remaining $1,210 would be set aside to pay shipping costs as needed. The plan for distribution would involve coordinating with other life-extension activists in the United States to bring Death is Wrong to their local areas. For instance, if a life-extension activist desires 25 copies of Death is Wrong to distribute to schools, libraries, or local gatherings, I could ship these copies to the activist, who would be able to identify the most effective local distribution channels and the most receptive audiences. Activists could use the donated copies to conduct public readings, including events that draw an audience of children.

As part of this distribution plan, I would be able to provide a similar arrangement for schools, libraries, and other organizations, particularly those which interact significantly with children. Death is Wrong is written at a level readily comprehensible for children ages 8 and older, though ambitious children of younger ages would be an ideal audience as well. In facilitating the distribution of Death is Wrong, I would encourage life-extension activists to invest in quality. Even a single bright child who shows ample curiosity, interest in, and support for dramatic enhancements in human longevity could become a leading contributor to the Movement for Indefinite Life Extension. Cultivating such a passion extremely early in life could provide the MILE with just the kind of support it needs – a set of energetic, intelligent, talented, and idealistic young people who are equipped and eager to transform the world for the better.

Success would be tracked through steady correspondence with activists and other recipients of donated books, to receive updates as to how many books were distributed and through which venues. The greatest mark of success, though, would be observing new people – both children and adults – entering the life-extension movement as a result of Death is Wrong. Through Amazon book reviews, online searches, and monitoring of life-extension social-networking groups and publications, as well as correspondence addressed to me and other longevity activists, it would be possible to gain an appreciation for how many hearts and minds have been won by this effort.

Death is Wrong – Children’s Book on Life Extension – Written by G. Stolyarov II, Illustrated by Wendy Stolyarov

Death is Wrong – Children’s Book on Life Extension – Written by G. Stolyarov II, Illustrated by Wendy Stolyarov

Death is Wrong - by Gennady Stolyarov II, Illustrated by Wendy Stolyarov

Death is Wrong – by Gennady Stolyarov II, Illustrated by Wendy Stolyarov

Click on the cover for a high-resolution image that you can download, save, and distribute.

If you have ever asked, “Why do people have to die?” then this book is for you. The answer is that no, death is not necessary, inevitable, or good. In fact, death is wrong. Death is the enemy of us all, to be fought with medicine, science, and technology. This book introduces you to the greatest, most challenging, most revolutionary movement to radically extend human lifespans so that you might not have to die at all.

You will learn about some amazingly long-lived plants and animals, recent scientific discoveries that point the way toward lengthening lifespans in humans, and simple, powerful arguments that can overcome the common excuses for death. If you have ever thought that death is unjust and should be defeated, you are not alone. Read this book, and become part of the most important quest in human history.

This book was written by the philosopher and futurist Gennady Stolyarov II and illustrated by the artist Wendy Stolyarov. It is here to show you that, no matter who you are and what you can do, there is always a way for you to help in humanity’s struggle against death.

Death is Wrong is the ambitious new book for children and for life-extension advocates of all ages.

You can purchase Death is Wrong in the following formats and locations:

Paperback Edition: Amazon – $9.48

Paperback Edition: Createspace – $9.48

Kindle Edition: Amazon – $0.99

The First Edition of Death is Wrong was published by the Rational Argumentator Press in conjunction with Ria University Press.

The Rational Argumentator welcomes your reviews of Death is Wrong. You can submit them to TRA by sending them to gennadystolyarovii@yahoo.com. You are also encouraged to review the book on Amazon and spread the word by reprinting the information on this page or your own comments concerning the book on other media outlets.

Non-commercial distribution of Death is Wrong is welcomed – including lending, public readings, and dissemination to libraries and schools. For commercial distribution options, please contact Mr. Stolyarov at gennadystolyarovii@yahoo.com. Because of Mr. Stolyarov’s desire to maximize the spread of this book, non-exclusivity is a key criterion for any commercial distribution rights.