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The 21-day electronic voting period on the ninth set of proposed platform planks of the U.S. Transhumanist Party and previously exposed proposals on investigations and emergency declarations will occur from 6:00 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time on Monday, February 17, 2025, to 6:00 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time on Monday, March 10, 2025. All members of the U.S. Transhumanist Party (USTP) who have applied before 6:00 p.m. on Monday, February 17, 2025, will be eligible to vote, as long as they have expressed agreement with the three Core Ideals of the USTP or have otherwise been rendered eligible to vote at the discretion of the Chairman.

All members who are eligible to vote will be sent a link to an electronic submission form whereby they will be able to cast their ballot.

When you are voting, it is strongly recommended that you keep this page of official ballot options and the submission form open simultaneously in different windows so that you can reference the relevant options as you vote on them. Due to space limitations, the submission form does not list the entire text of all the options.

It is also recommended that you set aside at least thirty minutes to consider and vote on all of the options and read their text closely, as some of the options contain minor variations upon other options. 

For some questions, electronic voting is conducted by a ranked-preference method on individual sections where more options are possible than would be accommodated by a simple “Yes” or “No” vote. Members should keep in mind that the ranked-preference method eliminates the incentives for strategic voting – so members are encouraged to vote for the options that reflect their individual preferences as closely as possible, without regard for how other members might vote.

Results of the voting will be tabulated during mid-March 2025, with the intent to announce the results approximately one week after all votes have been submitted.

NOTE: The titles of the questions and potential Sections are descriptive and informational only and will not appear in the final adopted Platform planks (which will be incorporated into Article VI of the U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitution as regards the Platform provisions and a new Article of the U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitution as regards any proposals on Investigations and Emergency Declarations). They are intended as concise guides to the subject matter of the questions and potential Sections. Likewise, the letters assigned to Sections within this ballot will not reflect the numbering of the final adopted provisions, which will depend on which Sections are selected by the membership.

NOTE II: The inclusion of any proposals on this ballot does not indicate any manner of endorsement for those proposals by the U.S. Transhumanist Party at this time – except to place those proposals before the members to determine the will of the members with regard to whether or not the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform should incorporate any given proposal.

Voter Identification

E-mail address

Provide the same e-mail address you used to register for U.S. Transhumanist Party membership. Your ballot will be cross-referenced to our membership rolls, and only ballots with matching e-mail addresses will be counted.

What is your name?

At minimum, first and last name are required, unless you are publicly known by a single-name pseudonym which is not itself a common name. Your identity will not be publicly disclosed by the Transhumanist Party, unless you choose and/or authorize its disclosure. The nature of the selections made by the members may be disclosed, but, if they are, each individual vote will not be associated with the identity of the voter but rather will be presented in an anonymized manner.

Navigate the Options

 

Proposed New Platform Sections

Question I. Section E9-A. Defeat of COVID as a Priority
Question II. Section E9-A. Defeat of COVID as a Priority – Ancillary Provisions
Question III. Section E9-A. Defeat of COVID as a Priority – Language Regarding Only Scientific and Technological Solutions Being Supported
Question IV. Section E9-B. Perception of Artificial Intelligence as an Opportunity
Question V. Section E9-B. Perception of Artificial Intelligence as an Opportunity – Ancillary Provisions on Bias and Use of AI in Law Enforcement
Question VI. Section E9-C. Reversible Cryopreservation Techniques
Question VII. Section E9-D. Public Money for Public Code
Question VIII. Section E9-E. Privacy on Social Media
Question IX. Section E9-F. Restraint of Government Agencies’ Efforts to Undermine Private Businesses’ Security Measures
Question X. Section E9-G. Security Whistleblower Program

Proposed Amendments to Existing Platform Sections

Question XI. Amendment to Section XXVII to Align with U.S. Transhumanist Party Support for Ranked-Preference Voting
Question XII. Amendment to Section XXXVI to Provide Exceptions to Taxation for Basic Necessities
Question XIII. Amendment to Section LXXIX to Update the Discussion of the Status of Right-to-Try Legislation
Question XIV. Amendment to Section XCIX to Revise Proposal for COVID Universal Basic Income to a Proposal to Indefinitely Cover all Costs of COVID Treatments and Vaccinations
Question XV. Amendment to Section CI to Update the Discussion of Pandemic-Related Travel Delays
Question XVI. Amendment to Section CII to Update the Discussion of Recalling United States Overseas Military Personnel
Question XVII. Amendment to Section CIII to Emphasize the Need to Support Lasting Cures and Vaccines for COVID-19
Question XVIII. Amendment to Section CIV to Generalize the USTP’s Support for an Annual $100 Billion Funding Package for Anti-Aging Research
Question XIX. Amendment to Section CX to Reflect Success of USTP’s Recommendation for the Distribution of Diagnostic Test Kits and the Need to Maintain Robust Data on the COVID Pandemic

Proposals on Investigations and Emergency Declarations

Question XX. Proposals on Investigations and Emergency Declarations

 

Proposed New Platform Sections

Question I. Section E9-A. Defeat of COVID as a Priority

Shall the following language be adopted as a new Section within the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform?

Given that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world and will not end as long as immunity from vaccination or prior infection can be bypassed by subsequent mutated escape variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the United States Transhumanist Party supports concerted scientific and technological efforts to eliminate COVID-19 as a threat to public health. These efforts may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: [Enumeration of any Ancillary Options that may be adopted pursuant to Question II.]

Select one of the following options.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

Question II. Section E9-A. Defeat of COVID as a Priority – Ancillary Provisions

If Section E9-A regarding the defeat of COVID as a priority is adopted as part of the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform, shall any of the following ancillary provisions be appended to that Section?

Select all the options you support. (You may select multiple options for this question.)  Any option receiving the majority of votes cast will be included in the ultimately adopted plank, unless the “No” option prevails in the vote on Question I above. If you do not favor any of the options below, then you may leave this question blank.

☐ Ancillary Provision E9-A-i. Development of a universal vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that would work against all possible variants of the virus and would confer lasting immunity.

☐ Ancillary Provision E9-A-ii. Development of harmless variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that would outcompete the existing variants without damaging any human or other animal host.

☐ Ancillary Provision E9-A-iii. Development of antibodies that are capable of neutralizing any variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

☐ Ancillary Provision E9-A-iv. Development of reliable cures for all varieties of Long COVID or Post-COVID Syndrome.

Question III. Section E9-A. Defeat of COVID as a Priority – Language Regarding Only Scientific and Technological Solutions Being Supported

If Section E9-A regarding the defeat of COVID as a priority is adopted as part of the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform, shall the following additional provision be added to that section?

Provision E9-A-Add-1. The United States Transhumanist Party considers only scientific and technological solutions to be capable of eliminating COVID-19 as a threat to public health and does not support lockdowns, restrictions on individual liberty or medical choice, or demonization of individuals who make any personal health choices regarding their approach to COVID-19 precautions – including individuals who take extensive, moderate, mild, or no precautions. The United States Transhumanist Party also holds that no individual should be compelled to undertake any behaviors that may expose that individual to greater risk of contracting COVID-19.

Select one of the following options.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

Question IV. Section E9-B. Perception of Artificial Intelligence as an Opportunity

Rank-order the Section E9-B Options that you support. Choose “1” for your most highly favored option, “2” for your second-most highly favored option, etc. You may include the option for “No Section of this sort” in your rank-ordering, and it does not need to be your most favored option if you do so. (For instance, some voters might favor some options but think that no language is preferable to some of the other options.)

If you choose “Abstain”, then do not rank-order any options, as you will be considered to have skipped this question.

☐ Option E9-B-1. [Proposal by Chairman Gennady Stolyarov II] The United States Transhumanist Party supports approaching technologies of artificial intelligence primarily as opportunities rather than as threats. The potential of artificial intelligence, including generative AI, to foster creativity, solve problems, cure diseases, create new opportunities, and facilitate radical abundance far outweighs the risks and dangers of AI. The United States Transhumanist Party recognizes that AI safety and AI alignment are important pursuits to maximize the probability of predominantly beneficial consequences from future AI systems. Furthermore, the United States Transhumanist Party supports restrictions on the ability to use AI systems for intentionally destructive purposes; such restrictions would include a ban on autonomous weapons. However, these efforts should be undertaken in a rational, proportionate, evidence-based manner, avoiding unsubstantiated speculation, alarmist hype, and doomsday pronouncements. Furthermore, the United States Transhumanist Party opposes any efforts to restrict individual liberty or initiate physically aggressive action against other individuals or countries in the name of stopping allegedly dangerous AI development.

☐ Option E9-B-2. [Proposal by Jason Geringer, same as Option E9-B-1, but removing the opposition to initiating physically aggressive action against other countries in the last sentence] The United States Transhumanist Party supports approaching technologies of artificial intelligence primarily as opportunities rather than as threats. The potential of artificial intelligence, including generative AI, to foster creativity, solve problems, cure diseases, create new opportunities, and facilitate radical abundance far outweighs the risks and dangers of AI. The United States Transhumanist Party recognizes that AI safety and AI alignment are important pursuits to maximize the probability of predominantly beneficial consequences from future AI systems. Furthermore, the United States Transhumanist Party supports restrictions on the ability to use AI systems for intentionally destructive purposes; such restrictions would include a ban on autonomous weapons. However, these efforts should be undertaken in a rational, proportionate, evidence-based manner, avoiding unsubstantiated speculation, alarmist hype, and doomsday pronouncements. Furthermore, the United States Transhumanist Party opposes any efforts to restrict individual liberty or initiate physically aggressive action against other individuals in the name of stopping allegedly dangerous AI development.

☐ Option E9-B-3. [Proposal by Luis Arroyo] The United States Transhumanist Party views artificial intelligence (AI) as potentially having positive opportunities but recognizes that its use under current economic conditions and current governments has been negative or might result in highly negative events. The United States Transhumanist Party is pro-AI in general, but not when AI is used to threaten people’s livelihoods or safety. In those latter circumstances, AI’s positive or negative aspects should be debated.

☐ Option E9-B-NO. No Section of this sort.

Question V. Section E9-B. Perception of Artificial Intelligence as an Opportunity – Ancillary Provisions on Bias and Use of AI in Law Enforcement

If Section E9-B regarding artificial intelligence is adopted as part of the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform, shall the following additional provision be added to that section?

Select all the options you support. (You may select multiple options for this question.)  Any option receiving the majority of votes cast will be included in the ultimately adopted plank, unless the “No” option prevails in the vote on Question I above. If you do not favor any of the options below, then you may leave this question blank.

☐ Ancillary Provision E9-B-i. [Based on Proposal by R. Nicholas Starr, Adding Language on Countering Passive or Unintentional Bias]

In addition, AI policy needs to address the known risks and harms that are created passively or unintentionally based on the human bias used while creating said AI. Stopping the intentional use of AI for harm does not go far enough, and it is necessary to ensure that AI is immune to biases such racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other similar forms of bias.

☐ Ancillary Provision E9-B-ii. [Based on Proposal by R. Nicholas Starr, Adding Language on Prohibiting Use of AI in Law Enforcement]

Furthermore, in addition to bans of the use of AI for autonomous weaponry, AI must furthermore be banned for use in law enforcement, such as facial recognition software that can misidentify individuals and lead to false allegations of criminal conduct.

Question VI. Section E9-C. Reversible Cryopreservation Techniques

Shall the following language be adopted as a new Section within the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform?

Recognizing that the achievement of reversible cryopreservation techniques could enable the realization of individuals’ right to life (brutally violated by so-called “natural” death) by waiting until future technologies could bring a cryopreserved patient out of the cryopreserved state and achieve cures for diseases and aging, the United States Transhumanist Party emphasizes the urgency of advancing reversible cryopreservation research. Therefore, the United States Transhumanist Party supports the allocation of an annual funding package of $10 billion for reversible cryopreservation research. This funding shall be expeditiously directed to esteemed research institutions with a proven track record of focusing on the development and implementation of reversible cryopreservation techniques.

Select one of the following options.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

Question VII. Section E9-D. Public Money for Public Code

Shall the following language be adopted as a new Section within the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform?

The United States Transhumanist Party supports the implementation of the ‘Public Money for Public Code’ concept, which holds that public money should, where reasonably possible, come to benefit the public first and foremost, and secondarily might also benefit other parties as well.

Public code is understood as code that is publicly available and more commonly referred to as Open Source, for example code released under the GPLv3 (General Public License version 3). The reasoning of ‘Public Money for Public Code’ is that public money should not be spent on proprietary software that benefits a select group of companies, but rather used to support Open-Source projects that are alternatives to proprietary software. As Open-Source software is available for free to the public, said stimulus of Open-Source software could benefit both the public as well as public institutions. An example here could be an alternative to Microsoft Office, such as LibreOffice.

Many Open-Source projects operate via volunteers contributing to the project’s efforts. Opening up the possibility to receive funding for a project could incentivize more people to contribute to a project, and perhaps even use contribution to Open-Source projects as a means of stable income. This incentivizes citizens to participate, as besides the admirable goal of doing good for the public, it also contributes to the participants’ livelihood, or helps them decide to split their worktime between the roles of an employee and a self-employed contributor.

Likewise, this might incentivize software companies to participate as well, as it can earn them revenue. It would, however, be important to observe that companies do not drown out individual contributors, as this could have a detrimental effect on incentivizing public participation.

The public participation would be an important element of the ‘Public Money for Public Code’ implementation, as it would also be a public showcase to stimulate interest in programming in education and beyond.

Select one of the following options.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

Question VIII. Section E9-E. Privacy on Social Media

Shall the following language be adopted as a new Section within the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform?

The United States Transhumanist Party supports efforts for social media to improve privacy settings, in granularity, usability, as well as awareness of such privacy features, for users. Better control of privacy can minimize the scraping of information, including information that can be used for identifying targets by malicious actors, from websites.

Select one of the following options.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

Question IX. Section E9-F. Restraint of Government Agencies’ Efforts to Undermine Private Businesses’ Security Measures

Rank-order the Section E9-F Options that you support. Choose “1” for your most highly favored option, “2” for your second-most highly favored option, etc. You may include the option for “No Section of this sort” in your rank-ordering, and it does not need to be your most favored option if you do so. (For instance, some voters might favor some options but think that no language is preferable to some of the other options.)

If you choose “Abstain”, then do not rank-order any options, as you will be considered to have skipped this question.

☐ Option E9-F-1. [Based on Proposal by Martin van der Kroon] The United States Transhumanist Party supports efforts to restrain government agencies from efforts to limit, oppose, or undermine security initiatives by companies and businesses. Although their motives might be pure, to uncover criminal activity for example, such efforts can in the process undermine security on a much larger scale. If government agencies can have access, so can malicious actors.

☐ Option E9-F-2. [Based on Proposal by Martin van der Kroon with clarification recommended by Jason Geringer as to applicability] The United States Transhumanist Party supports efforts to restrain government agencies from efforts to limit, oppose, or undermine security initiatives by companies and businesses. For instance, government agencies should not be able to request that private companies build “back doors” into their software to enable government agencies to access digital devices or systems in the course of an investigation. Although their motives might be pure, to uncover criminal activity for example, such efforts can in the process undermine security on a much larger scale. If government agencies can have access, so can malicious actors.

☐ Option E9-F-3. [Based on revisions recommended by R. Nicholas Starr] The United States Transhumanist Party supports efforts to restrain government agencies from efforts to limit, oppose, or undermine security initiatives by companies and businesses. Although their motives might be pure, to uncover criminal activity for example, such efforts can in the process undermine security on a much larger scale. If government agencies can have access, so can malicious actors.

However, such restraints should not be interpreted to interfere with needed federal regulation of businesses to keep consumers and employees safe and free of exploitation. Many businesses, especially big-money corporations (as contrasted with small business), need more regulation and transparency.

☐ Option E9-F-NO. No Section of this sort.

 

Question X. Section E9-G. Security Whistleblower Program

Shall the following language be adopted as a new Section within the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform?

The US Transhumanist Party supports efforts to create a security whistleblower initiative where a whistleblower can report known security issues that are not being addressed by a company or government institution. This could also aid the whistleblower in the event that they would suffer negative consequences by their employer for addressing security issues.

Select one of the following options.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

 

Proposed Amendments to Existing Platform Sections

Question XI.  Amendment to Section XXVII to Align with U.S. Transhumanist Party Support for Ranked-Preference Voting

Select one of the following options.

☐ Current Version of Section XXVII. The United States Transhumanist Party advocates Constitutional reform to abolish the Electoral College in the United States Presidential elections and render the plurality of the popular vote the sole criterion for the election of President.

☐ Amendment XXVII-1.   The United States Transhumanist Party advocates Constitutional reform to abolish the Electoral College in the United States Presidential elections and render the plurality of the popular vote the sole criterion for the election of President. the criterion for the election of President to be an outcome of the popular vote decided by ranked-preference voting or a similar mechanism that allows voters to select multiple options in a manner that more completely expresses their views.

☐ Abstain.

Question XII. Amendment to Section XXXVI to Provide Exceptions to Taxation for Basic Necessities

Current Version of Section XXXVI. The United States Transhumanist Party supports the elimination of graduated taxation and income taxation more generally. Instead, the United States Transhumanist Party advocates a flat percentage-of-sales tax applicable only to purchases from businesses whose combined nationwide revenues from all affiliates exceed a specified threshold. This tax should be built into the price of goods from such large businesses and should not impede transaction efficiency in any manner. Transactions pertaining to wages, salaries, gifts, donations, barter, employee benefits, and inheritances should remain completely untaxed, as should transactions involving solely individuals and/or small businesses, for whom the establishment of a tax-reporting infrastructure would be onerous. Furthermore, all taxes on land and property should be abolished.

Shall the following text be added as the new third sentence of Section XXXVI? “This tax would not be imposed on life necessities, defined as goods that are consumable in the near term and whose primary purpose is to facilitate human survival.”

Select one of the following options.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

Question XIII. Amendment to Section LXXIX to Update the Discussion of the Status of Right-to-Try Legislation

Select one of the following options.

☐ Current Version of Section LXXIX: The United States Transhumanist Party supports repealing the current requirement in the United States that drugs or treatments may not be used, even on willing patients, unless approval for such drugs or treatments is received from the Food and Drug Administration. Such requirements are a profound violation of patient sovereignty; a person who is terminally ill is unable to choose to take a risk on an unapproved drug or treatment unless this person is fortunate enough to participate in a clinical trial. Even then, once the clinical trial ends, the treatment must be discontinued, even if it was actually successful at prolonging the person’s life. This is not only profoundly tragic, but morally unconscionable as well. The most critical reform needed is to allow unapproved drugs and treatments to be marketed and consumed. If the FDA wishes to strongly differentiate between approved and unapproved treatments, then a strongly worded warning label could be required for unapproved treatments, and patients could even be required to sign a consent form stating that they have been informed of the risks of an unapproved treatment. This reform to directly extend many lives and to redress a moral travesty should be the top political priority of advocates of indefinite life extension. Over the coming decades, its effect will be to allow cutting-edge treatments to reach a market sooner and thus to enable data about those treatments’ effects to be gathered more quickly and reliably. Because many treatments take 10-15 years to receive FDA approval, this reform could by itself speed up the real-world advent of indefinite life extension by over a decade.

☐ Amendment LXXIX-1. The United States Transhumanist Party supports repealing the current requirement in the United States that, in most cases, drugs or treatments may not be used, even on willing patients, unless approval for such drugs or treatments is received from the Food and Drug Administration. Such requirements are a profound violation of patient sovereignty; a person who is terminally ill is often unable to choose to take a risk on an unapproved drug or treatment unless this person is fortunate enough to participate in a clinical trial. Even then, once the clinical trial ends, the treatment must be is often discontinued, even if it was actually successful at prolonging the person’s life.  While the Federal Right-to-Try Act of 2017 and various State-level Right-to-Try Acts have been steps in the right direction, they have seldom been utilized, because of various other regulatory barriers, as well as drug manufacturers’ reluctance to expose themselves to liability and regulatory risk. This is not only profoundly tragic, but morally unconscionable as well. The most critical reform needed is to allow unapproved drugs and treatments to be marketed and consumed. Every effort should be made to allow and encourage the manufacturers and providers of experimental medicines and medical treatments to make them available to willing patients with proper disclosure and informed consent, accompanied by protections against liability and adverse regulatory actions. Currently, most Right-to-Try Acts are limited to terminally ill patients, and should be expanded to model Montana’s Right-to-Try Act and the Best Choice Medicine concept to make the choice to pursue experimental drugs and treatments, including gene therapies, available to all patients. If the FDA wishes to strongly differentiate between approved and unapproved treatments, then a strongly worded warning label could be required for unapproved treatments, and patients could even be required to sign a consent form stating that they have been informed of the risks of an unapproved treatment. This reform to directly extend many lives and to redress a moral travesty should be the top political priority of advocates of indefinite life extension. Over the coming decades, its effect will be to allow cutting-edge treatments to reach a market sooner and thus to enable data about those treatments’ effects to be gathered more quickly and reliably. Because many treatments take 10-15 years to receive FDA approval, this reform could by itself speed up the real-world advent of indefinite life extension by over a decade.

☐ Abstain.

Question XIV. Amendment to Section XCIX to Revise Proposal for COVID Universal Basic Income to a Proposal to Indefinitely Cover all Costs of COVID Treatments and Vaccinations

Select one of the following options.

☐ Current Version of Section XCIX: The United States Transhumanist Party supports for an immediate, universal, unconditional basic income of at least $1000 per month to be provided to every United States citizen for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its immediate aftermath, without regard for individuals’ means or other sources of income. The priority for this program should be to prevent massive and irreparable economic disruptions to the lives of Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic.

☐ Amendment XCIX-1: The United States Transhumanist Party supports for n immediate, universal, unconditional basic income of at least $1000 per month to be provided to every United States citizen for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its immediate aftermath, without regard for individuals’ means or other sources of income. advocates for all American residents to continue to receive free health care for the disease of COVID-19, including free testing, vaccination, antiviral medications, and any other services involved in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. The priority for this program should be to prevent massive and irreparable economic and health disruptions to the lives of Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic. Requiring consumers and patients to pay for COVID-related care would increase the number of people who refuse to obtain vaccination or treatment for purely financial reasons, thus amplifying the difficulty of ever defeating COVID-19 – an endeavor that is aided by maximizing the amount of immunity and available health care for the population.

☐ Abstain.

Question XV. Amendment to Section CI to Update the Discussion of Pandemic-Related Travel Delays

Select one of the following options.

☐ Current Version of Section CI: In recognition that the recent screening bottlenecks at United States airports create situations of unacceptable crowding which further contribute to the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the United States Transhumanist Party advocates for immediate admittance through security checkpoints of the vast majority of travelers currently waiting at airports in the United States. Such travelers may be required to subsequently undergo health screenings at other facilities within the United States within a certain period of time, as long as such screenings do not involuntarily place the individuals being screened in close physical proximity to one another.

☐ Amendment CI-1: In recognition that the recent screening bottlenecks unprecedented and prolonged patterns of flight delays and cancellations at United States airports create situations of unacceptable crowding which further contribute to the spread of  detriments to quality of life and mobility to American passengers and were due directly to the supply-chain disruptions, aircraft shortages, labor shortages, and poor decisions by major airlines to cut staff in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic, the United States Transhumanist Party advocates for immediate admittance through security checkpoints of the vast majority of travelers currently waiting at airports in the United States. Such travelers may be required to subsequently undergo health screenings at other facilities within the United States within a certain period of time, as long as such screenings do not involuntarily place the individuals being screened in close physical proximity to one another. measures to enable airlines which reduced aircraft counts and dismissed staff during the COVID-19 epidemic to purchase or construct sufficient aircraft to replace the reduced capacity, to actively utilize such aircraft and restore prior routes, and to offer to re-hire all staff members who were dismissed as a result of prior responses to the epidemic. In the event that specific individual former staff members do not wish to return to their previous positions, they should be replaced with others who are willing to take on those roles for appropriate compensation and benefits. Sufficient incentives should be offered to airlines to allow pre-COVID flight, maintenance, and staffing levels to continue indefinitely.

☐ Abstain.

Question XVI. Amendment to Section CII to Update the Discussion of Recalling United States Overseas Military Personnel

Rank-order the Section CII Amendment Options that you support. Choose “1” for your most highly favored option, “2” for your second-most highly favored option, etc.

If you choose “Abstain”, then do not rank-order any options, as you will be considered to have skipped this question.

☐ Current Version of Section CII: The United States Transhumanist Party supports the recall of all United States military personnel from overseas stations as soon as possible and their deployment for the purpose of rapid hospital construction in the United States, as well as for providing rapid emergency aid and essential infrastructure improvements. Continued military presence abroad only unnecessarily exposes American troops to the risk of infection, while the expertise of American military personnel in crisis response is urgently needed within American borders.

☐ Amendment CII-1: [Proposed by Chairman Gennady Stolyarov II] The United States Transhumanist Party supports the recall of all as many United States military personnel from overseas stations as soon as reasonably possible, with the exception of those specifically needed to defend American assets and American citizens and to carry out specific and limited previously agreed-upon treaty obligations, and their deployment for the purpose of rapid hospital construction in the United States, as well as for providing rapid emergency aid and essential infrastructure improvements. Continued military presence abroad only unnecessarily exposes American troops to the risk of infection, while the expertise of American military personnel in crisis response is urgently needed within American borders. improving domestic defense, infrastructure, and crisis response in providing peaceful assistance to the civilian population in times of major disruptions to everyday life.

☐ Amendment CII-2. [Modification proposed by Luis Arroyo to remove reference to defending American assets] The United States Transhumanist Party supports the recall of all as many United States military personnel from overseas stations as soon as reasonably possible, with the exception of those specifically needed to defend American citizens and to carry out specific and limited previously agreed-upon treaty obligations, and their deployment for the purpose of rapid hospital construction in the United States, as well as for providing rapid emergency aid and essential infrastructure improvements. Continued military presence abroad only unnecessarily exposes American troops to the risk of infection, while the expertise of American military personnel in crisis response is urgently needed within American borders. improving domestic defense, infrastructure, and crisis response in providing peaceful assistance to the civilian population in times of major disruptions to everyday life.

Question XVII. Amendment to Section CIII to Emphasize the Need to Support Lasting Cures and Vaccines for COVID-19

Select one of the following options.

☐ Current Version of Section CIII: The United States Transhumanist Party supports the rapid research into effective cures and vaccines for COVID-19 and the harnessing of synergies from this research to also develop a cure for the common cold and more effective vaccination against influenza. Such research should proceed with no barriers, subject to the researchers’ expression of ethical intentions, and any regulations or processes that would delay the progress of such research should be immediately waived or repealed. In the effort to accelerate progress in this field, the United States Transhumanist Party advocates for an immediate $100 billion funding package for the rapid development of a COVID-19 vaccine, with all volunteers being accepted into human trials as soon as practicable. The United States Transhumanist Party advocates for government funding and ownership of any cure for COVID-19, to be distributed free of charge to those infected with the virus.

☐ Amendment CIII-1: The United States Transhumanist Party supports the rapid research into effective lasting cures and vaccines for COVID-19, such as antibodies that respond to all variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and vaccines that permanently protect against all such variants, and the harnessing of synergies from this research to also develop a cure for the common cold and more effective vaccination against influenza. Such research should proceed with no barriers, subject to the researchers’ expression of ethical intentions, and any regulations or processes that would delay the progress of such research should be immediately waived or repealed. In the effort to accelerate progress in this field, the United States Transhumanist Party advocates for an immediate $100 billion funding package for the rapid development of a universal COVID-19 vaccine that would be permanently effective against all variants, with all volunteers being accepted into human trials as soon as practicable. The United States Transhumanist Party advocates for government funding and ownership release into the public domain of any cure or future vaccine for COVID-19, to be distributed free of charge to those infected with the virus and to all who wish to prevent such infection.

☐ Abstain.

Question XVIII. Amendment to Section CIV to Generalize the USTP’s Support for an Annual $100 Billion Funding Package for Anti-Aging Research

Rank-order the Section CIV Amendment Options that you support. Choose “1” for your most highly favored option, “2” for your second-most highly favored option, etc.

If you choose “Abstain”, then do not rank-order any options, as you will be considered to have skipped this question.

☐ Current Version of Section CIV: Because biological aging is the number-one risk factor for mortality and severe complications from COVID-19 infections, as well as infections of virtually every sort, the United States Transhumanist Party emphasizes the importance of reversing biological aging as rapidly as possible and thereby protecting more lives from future pandemics. Accordingly, the United States Transhumanist Party advocates for a permanent, annual $100 billion funding package for anti-aging research, to be immediately distributed to leading research organizations in the field which have in the past specifically identified the defeat and reversal of biological aging as their goals.

☐ Amendment CIV-1 [Proposal by Vladimir Shakirov]:  Because biological aging is the number-one risk factor for mortality and disabilities in elderly people, and for severe complications from COVID-19 infections, as well as infections of virtually every sort, and thus brutally violates the fundamental rights of people to life and health, the United States Transhumanist Party emphasizes the importance of reversing biological aging as rapidly as possible and thereby protecting more lives, including from future pandemics. Accordingly, the United States Transhumanist Party advocates for a permanent, annual $100 billion funding package for anti-aging research, to be immediately distributed to leading research organizations in the field which have in the past specifically identified the defeat and reversal of biological aging as their goals.

☐ Amendment CIV-2 [Modification proposed by R. Nicholas Starr to remove reference to COVID-19 infections]: Because biological aging is the number-one risk factor for mortality and disabilities in elderly people, severe complications from COVID-19 infections, as well as infections of virtually every sort, and thus brutally violates the fundamental rights of people to life and health, the United States Transhumanist Party emphasizes the importance of reversing biological aging as rapidly as possible and thereby protecting more lives, including from future pandemics. Accordingly, the United States Transhumanist Party advocates for a permanent, annual $100 billion funding package for anti-aging research, to be immediately distributed to leading research organizations in the field which have in the past specifically identified the defeat and reversal of biological aging as their goals.

Question XIX. Amendment to Section CX to Reflect Success of USTP’s Recommendation for the Distribution of Diagnostic Test Kits and the Need to Maintain Robust Data on the COVID Pandemic

Select one of the following options.

☐ Current Version of Section CX: The United States Transhumanist Party supports the immediate deployment of as many COVID-19 diagnostic tests as possible to the general population, with the aim of achieving universal testing of every American, even those without symptoms, free of charge. Universal testing is necessary to understand the true prevalence of COVID-19 infections and the proportion of serious cases and fatalities relative to actual total cases, not merely reported cases. This would enable a true understanding of the extent of the epidemic’s spread as well as how the rates of serious complications and death compare to the common cold and influenza. The United States Transhumanist Party supports generous aid to both private and governmental research teams working in parallel on developing effective testing kits and approaches, particularly those which do not require large numbers of people to congregate.

The United States Transhumanist Party also advocates for COVID-19 testing kits to be developed that could result in tests being self-administered by individuals in their own homes and then mailed to laboratories for evaluation. This would minimize the physical contact of individuals being tested with medical practitioners and other patients.

☐ Amendment CX-1: The United States Transhumanist Party supports the immediate ongoing, continuous, and indefinite deployment of as many COVID-19 diagnostic tests as possible to the general population, with the aim of achieving universal testing of every American, even those without symptoms, free of charge. Universal testing is necessary to understand the true prevalence of COVID-19 infections and the proportion of serious cases and fatalities relative to actual total cases, not merely reported cases. This would enable a true understanding of the extent of the epidemic’s spread as well as how the rates of serious complications and death compare to the common cold and influenza. The United States Transhumanist Party supports generous aid to both private and governmental research teams working in parallel on developing effective testing kits and approaches, particularly those which do not require large numbers of people to congregate manufacturers of effective diagnostic tests for COVID-19 that can recognize emerging variants, such that those tests could be manufactured in sufficient quantity to provide a test to every American who wants one.

The United States Transhumanist Party also advocates achieved success in advocating for COVID-19 testing kits to be developed that could result in tests being self-administered by individuals in their own homes and then mailed to laboratories for evaluation. This would minimize has reduced the physical contact of individuals being tested with medical practitioners and other patients. However, the United States Transhumanist Party expresses concern regarding significant lack of data about the ongoing prevalence of COVID-19 within communities in the United States. Such data, which used to be tracked rigorously and published regularly, have now become sparse and have failed to capture all sources of COVID-19 infection. In order to be able to track the spread of new variants of the virus, authorities need to return to the level of data collection and publication that existed during the early pandemic in 2020.

☐ Abstain.

 

Proposals on Investigations and Emergency Declarations

Question XX. Proposals on Investigations and Emergency Declarations

Informational Note: This vote follows from the Exposure Period on Policy Proposals on Investigations and Emergency Declarations, which was open between October 17 and November 1, 2021. During that Exposure Period, proposals by R. Nicholas Starr (RNS-1. Guidelines for Investigations and RNS-2. Definitions and Restrictions on Emergency Actions) and Zach Richardson (ZR-1. Proposal in Support of Decisive Executive Action in Times of Emergency) were presented and extensively discussed, with USTP leadership offering feedback on both proposals, and USTP members also contributing in the comments – including responses from R. Nicholas Starr and Jason Geringer.

By way of background, the only State of Emergency that had been declared during the history of the U.S. Transhumanist Party occurred between August 10, 2021, and October 27, 2022, due to the need to take rapid and decisive action in response to unjust allegations that had been directed against USTP member and Advisor Dr. Aubrey de Grey. Once Dr. de Grey was able to form his own organization, the Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation (LEVF), and take significant steps to restore his reputation within the court of public opinion, the USTP State of Emergency was no longer necessary. No subsequent State of Emergency had been declared to this day, nor is one contemplated for the foreseeable future, barring any high-profile and potentially perilous developments which are not yet known to USTP leadership.

Upon deliberating in regard to how to structure this vote, the USTP leadership fundamentally perceives two different approaches – one (advocated by R. Nicholas Starr) which would significantly limit the USTP’s power to comment on outside investigations and declare emergencies and the other (advocated by Zach Richardson) to enable decisive action in times of serious threat. The USTP leadership thus sees it as reasonable to present these proposals as packages and alternatives to one another for the decision of the USTP membership, in order that the principles and internal coherence within each package are clearly understood by voting members.

As expressed in its feedback during the Exposure Period, the USTP leadership strongly favors Proposal ZR-1 and has serious concerns about Proposals RNS-1 and RNS-2. The USTP leadership did, however, take into account the feedback provided by Jason Geringer and R. Nicholas Starr and has determined to moderate some of previously exposed provisions of Proposal ZR-1 in the following manner:

• Add the following sentence at the end of the eighth paragraph: “This does not prohibit individual Party members from criticizing a decision of the Chairman, as long as that criticism does not stray into attempted compulsion.”

• Remove the following paragraph: “If any Party member seeks to compel the Chairman to retract any statement made on behalf of the Party, or its allies, affiliates or members, or any statement made on behalf of the Party by anyone who was designated an ally by the Chairman, the Chairman may assert that the member in question is acting in violation of the Party’s principles and its standards.”

• Revise the third-to-last paragraph to read as follows: “The Party hereby empowers the Chairman in a manner that is consistent with the principles and standards of the Party, and is consistent with the existing authority of the Party to advocate on behalf of its members and its Platform. The Party shall further make every effort to ensure that the Party, its members, and the Chairman are able to advocate for the Party and its members on a permanent and eternal basis.”

• Revise the last paragraph to read as follows: “A good-faith effort shall be made to ensure that the Chairman has the opportunity to respond to attacks on the Party, or on any of its members, allies, or affiliates, and finally to ensure that the Chairman is able to engage in the activities described in this Section for the entire substantive duration of any emergency.”

Any other revisions are editorial in nature only and are intended to phrase the proposal consistently with inclusion in the USTP Constitution.

The revised proposal will be referred to as Proposal ZR-JG-1 and reads as follows.

Proposal ZR-JG-1. In Support of Decisive Executive Action in Times of Emergency [Authored by Zach Richardson, with modifications based on public input, including from Jason Geringer]:

When executive action is required in the face of a serious threat, the Chairman must have the authority to act decisively.

This Section reasserts the Chairman’s authority to act decisively in defense of individuals, groups, or organizations by expressing the delegated support of the Party for the individual, group, or organization under assault.  The Chairman retains the authority to advocate for those individuals, groups, or organizations whose goals align with those of the Party. The Chairman is not required to seek the approval of a majority of the party membership to act on behalf of the Party, nor does he have to provide justification for his support.

The authority of the Chairman to act on behalf of the party is not intended to supersede the authority of the Party to determine the Party’s position on a particular issue, nor is it intended to diminish the responsibility of the Party to take a position on a particular issue.

The Chairman will retain the authority to act on behalf of the Party, at his or her own discretion, to advocate on behalf of the Party and its members in the event of an emergency, defined as any event that may significantly impact the realization of the goals of the Party as outlined in the Platform.

The Party will seek to continuously empower the Chairman to act on behalf of its members by codifying his/her authority to do so in a manner that is consistent with the principles and standards of the Party, and is consistent with the existing authority of the Party to advocate on behalf of its members as a whole.

The Chairman is empowered to act as the Party’s representative, and to make statements on behalf of the Party, to the media and the public; to advocate on behalf of any individual, group, or organization that supports the Party and its Platform, as well as on behalf of the Party’s members and the Party’s philosophy, goals, and objectives; to promote the Party’s agenda, candidates, and policies; and to respond to attacks on the Party, or on its members, allies, or affiliates.

The Chairman has the ability to designate individuals and organizations as “allies” of the Party at his or her discretion, and to permit such “allies” to represent themselves to the public and the media as “allies” and “members” of the Party. Such “allies” are encouraged but not required to support the Platform.

Party members may not seek to compel the Chairman to retract any statement made on behalf of the Party or its allies, affiliates or members; nor may any Party member seek to compel the Chairman to retract any statement made on behalf of the Party or its allies, affiliates, or members by anyone who was so designated by the Chairman. This does not prohibit individual Party members from criticizing a decision of the Chairman, as long as that criticism does not stray into attempted compulsion.

The Chairman and any of his designees shall strive to ensure the following:

(i) The Party is adequately represented in all communications with the public and the media. In some cases, it may be appropriate to have two or more representatives from the Party speak on behalf of the Party.

(ii) The Party is able to provide key information to the public and the media in a timely manner, through press releases, interviews, and particularly social media commentary.

(iii) The Party is able to have a significant and positive impact on the outcome or resolution of the emergency.

(iv) The Party is able to respond to attacks on the Party, or on any of its members, allies, or affiliates.

The Party hereby empowers the Chairman in a manner that is consistent with the principles and standards of the Party, and is consistent with the existing authority of the Party to advocate on behalf of its members and its Platform. The Party shall further make every effort to ensure that the Party, its members, and the Chairman are able to advocate for the Party and its members on a permanent and eternal basis.

It is in the interest of the Party to remain relevant, not only to the Party itself, but to the public, and it is in the spirit of that interest that the Party empowers the Chairman.

A good-faith effort shall be made to ensure that the Chairman has the opportunity to respond to attacks on the Party, or on any of its members, allies, or affiliates, and finally to ensure that the Chairman is able to engage in the activities described in this Section for the entire substantive duration of any emergency.

Proposals RNS-1 and RNS-2 read as follows.

Proposal RNS-1. Guidelines for Investigations [Authored by R. Nicholas Starr]

As a data-driven political organization the United States Transhumanist Party (USTP), and its leadership acting on behalf of the USTP, must remain neutral in its official capacity during outside investigations into past, present, or future members until said investigations are complete and all facts are known and presented to USTP members. The USTP should also refrain from attempts to influence ongoing investigations or public perception while an investigation is taking place. Public statements of facts and acknowledgement of the situation is permissible, but statements must not stray into speculation. Once an investigation is complete, the USTP may issue statements based solely on the facts and analysis thereof. This does not restrict an individual, regardless of their position in the USTP, from speaking out on an issue in their personal capacity, nor does it restrict a person from providing criticism of such personal statements in their own personal capacity.

The USTP may conduct its own investigations into matters affecting members on a case-by-case basis, as determined by a vote of the membership, and under the following limitations. Investigators must be impartial with no personal or professional connection to any of the parties involved in the investigation (accusers, the accused, or other individuals of interest sought for questioning in the investigation). Professional connections include but are not limited to current or former employees, advisors, board members, and interns for the person or organization under investigation, as well as direct competitors of any party under investigation (one may not investigate one’s competition). If an impartial investigator cannot be obtained, either from inside or outside of USTP membership, then the investigation must be abandoned.

Internal investigations should not be intended to replace outside investigations and should be limited to how the incident under investigation impacts operation of the USTP. Consequences sought after the conclusion of the investigation shall be limited to administrative action available within the USTP. The USTP does not have the power to require action or consequences to be implemented by outside organizations.

The purpose of the internal investigation shall be made known to the members with a summary of alleged offenses and what questions the investigation seeks to answer. This must be done in a professional manner, excluding personal opinion and potential bias.

Proposal RNS-2. Definitions and Restrictions on Emergency Actions [Authored by R. Nicholas Starr]

United States Transhumanist Party (USTP) leaders shall have the limited ability to declare, and act on, emergencies on behalf of the USTP’s members. Such a declaration shall have no bearing on, or interfere with, applicable federal, state, and local laws.

When declaring an emergency the USTP leadership must publicly announce what the emergency is, why waiting to act would cause immediate increased harm, and the intended course of action sought by the USTP. This course of action must not deviate from, or spread beyond, the scope of the incident, meaning that any intended action must be clearly and directly related to the emergency.

An emergency shall be defined as an unexpected and immediate threat or active instance of the following, pending member further recommendations and approval by membership vote:

• Threat to life or public safety (threats to life extension shall not be included unless the emergency threatens an individual placed in preservation prior to the emergency, such as in cryonics)
• Natural disaster
• Humanitarian crisis
• Credible acts of violence
• Direct malicious attack, physical or digital, of USTP property
• Theft of USTP funds from an official account totaling over 1% of the last known balance and more than $100.

An emergency shall not include:

• Personal scandal
• Delays in research
• Matters of outside businesses or organizations

An emergency may only be declared in cases where delayed action would clearly cause increased harm based on the available evidence. If the emergency action is to take longer than 14 days, then it requires further approval by a vote of the USTP membership.

Instructions:

Rank-order the options on Proposals on Investigations and Emergency Declarations that you support. Choose “1” for your most highly favored option, “2” for your second-most highly favored option, etc.

If you choose “Abstain”, then do not rank-order any options, as you will be considered to have skipped this question.

☐ Proposal ZR-JG-1. Proposal in Support of Decisive Executive Action in Times of Emergency

☐ Proposals RNS-1. Guidelines for Investigations and RNS-2. Definitions and Restrictions on Emergency Actions

☐ Adopt Neither Proposal Package and Maintain the Status Quo.