Red Son: What would you do with Near-infinite super-powers?

I guess I'd do the physical deeds necessary to set the ball rolling on the big projects of the future of humanity (like overthrow all corrupt gov'ts, unite the world under a single vision of progress toward omniscience and immortality, etc)

I'd also abuse my see-thru powers though i guess that would be silly since every female would be all over me anyway

Getting rid of all of the big problems in the world (ie. disease, hunger, lack of shelter, seriously bad governments, and their nasty toys, global warming and other ecological threats, murder...) those kinds of things - yeah, I'd do that. And, I'm always bothered when I hear that people are going to die if they don't get a medical procedure that their medical insurance won't help them out with, so I'd fix that, too...

I do think that if all of life's little problems were solved for everyone that life would get pretty boring after a while, so I'd leave the little, usual day to day stuff that people bicker over alone. You've got to have something to b!tch about sometimes.

Thankgawd this is all a fantasy!!! A real-life person with the powers of Superman would be the greatest disaster humanity has faced yet, regardless of how he/she chose to exercise those powers. No one can play God with impunity.

Re: Red Son: What would you do with Near-infinite super-powe
Taliesin
I don't see any line. When you talk about protecting people you suppose already the inferiority of people. You talk about people like sheeps.
And what do you mean by saying "the power to do almost anything"? You already have that power. The problem is the "almost".
If you look at all things you can do, I think you will agree that such a Superman is useless. But I agree it is dangerous. He thinks he knows what is best for the others.
And Taliesin: in History we had so many Supermen like that! Robespierre, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin ... they all knew what is the best for us. They all finished with massmurder and concentration camps.

Val: I see your point about inferiority, but the problem is that compared to a "Superman", they would be inferior. If you have someone who can get rid of nuclear weapons with impunity, transport water to nation with drought in the blink of an eye, and make sure everyone has food...doesn't that person have a moral obligation to help humanity? My question was: where to draw the line? Performing surgery with your heat vision, thereby putting doctors out of business? overthrowing ruthless tyrants, thereby elevating yourself to the position of judge, jury, and executioner?

There's so much that seems like we'd need a "hero" to fix, and while I agree that a normal one would be better, in the context of the question, wherein you have those powers, what would you do?

Taliesin, to give you a direct answer:
If I had those powers I wouldn't be a man, so I think I would use them to my exclusive benefict, as we do with another animal species.

Quite right, val. Anyone who had such powers would no longer be human and, therefore, would have little empathy for our species. We don't try to save the life of one particular adversary in a fight to the death between two wild beasts. We let "nature take its course." The reaction of a super being would -- and should -- be similar when viewing conflicts between factions of mankind.

Merry: So you would just perch on a mountain stronghold and watch humanity suffer? While I agree that a super-human being would have trouble identifying with "commoners", I don't think it's essential to empathy that we're all alike. In fact, that goes against the definition of empathy, since empathy is identification with the feelings of someone different.

Val: Same point as Merry: You don't need to be genetically identical to something in order to empathize with it. If that were the case, then there would be not PETA, people wouldn't have pets, and wildlife preserves wouldn't exist. I think the difference between a Superhuman and a regular one is less than that between a regular human and an animal, since both man and superman have intelligence, so this superhuman would only be more likely to help out. At least, that's what I thought. Does anyone else share Merry & Val's views? I might need to revise in the face of contrary evidence

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts aboslutely. That is a truism which has been demonstrated time and again. I have no idea what I personally would do if I had such powers. Most likely I'd have a nervous breakdown due to a fatal inability to decide on the correct course of action. I don't think I have the right to impose my will on anyone else. Neither does Clark Kent. Eventually, all power gets politicized. And so you have Superman fighting for 'truth, justice and the American way.' I'm not at all sure that the 'American way' should be imposed on the rest of humanity.

Well said, Merry. However, I don't think Clark Kent is imposing his will on anyone; he's just saving people who get in trouble. If he were to become a dictator, however, like in the "alternate reality" Comic I read, then he should be taken down. I agree, however, with your "American Way" Comment...and hope this administration is listening....and know that they aren't.

Taliesin

I eat pork. I eat fish. I eat cow.
I use them to my own pleasure.
That doesn't mean I like to see them suffer or die. I just use them. And you do the same thing. We all do.

I get what you're saying, Val, however, the difference between animals and humans is far greater than the difference between humans and our "Superman", intellectually. If you knew that they cow was screaming at you to not kill it before you cut its throat, could you do it anyway? I doubt it. Power doesn't automatically equal immorality. The "Power corrupts" quote isn't instantaneous, and, in my opinion, can be avoided, if the individual is strong-willed enough.

That's a good point, though. Does power always corrupt?

I'd rape and pillage...no, first I'd rape for awhile...then I'd pillage...then maybe I'd rape and pillage at the same time for awhile...

Hmmm... never seen this topic before...
Now who's stalking who Kickycan?? hehe Blame that sweet italian talking of yours, would ya? Or... that Angel dust.


All right.. if you guys haven't noticed, I'm SUPERJuly and I can't tell you of my surreptitious....

How about a few thunderbolts?

spendius.

What?!! I'm lost.

On topic, I think that even the most well-meaning of people can be corrupted by unimaginable power if they don't have the will to go with it. There would be a slow trend towards viewing the non-powered individuals as "beneath" the powered one that could only be stopped by an intensely moral and philosophical person. I'd like to think that I'd keep my head, but I think I'd slide a bit, ethically. How about the rest of you?

I'd use my powers to get chicks.... and keep it subtle becuase squinney would probably still be able to kick my ass superpowers or no.....