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Comment by akudha | Hacker News Reader

Suppose humans go extinct. Why is it such a bad thing? Species go extinct all the time. Why are we so special?

We have zero respect for the planet or other species (if we did, we wouldn’t raise animals in horrific conditions just for their flesh). Maybe other species will thrive, when we are gone

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Do other apex predators treat their prey with more respect? The fact that you can even consider the rammifications of our meat industry and express your condemnation of it is prima facie evidence of why we are so special.

We should do better because we can do better

do we know they don't treat their prey with respect? why do we assume to be so. We can't know what they are thinking so assuming they are dumb and we are superior is not the right thing. Maybe they do have feelings. Its just that we don't know if they have or not.

If nothing matters then why are you still here? And if our species doesn’t matter why should it matter that other species might thrive without us? Are they more valuable than humans?

I think that this kind of self-hatred is a much greater threat to humanity than a falling birth rate. We properly fear the danger of non-aligned artificial intelligence but the more immediate danger is non-aligned human intelligence. As human knowledge and power grows, of the workings of the atom and the cell in particular, the means to destroy ourselves becomes more attainable, ever more with reach of people like the above who either don't value, or negatively value human life.

For shorthand, I'm more afraid of 12 Monkeys (1995) than Children of Men (2006).

Strikes me more as self reflection and critique than hatred. The former could be pretty handy if the goal is to live more sustainably than less aware predators.

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