Редактирование: Ben Zion

[[File:BenZion USTP campaign.jpg|right|150px|Campaign poster.|thumb]]

'''Johannon Ben Zion''' is a transhumanist activist and was, for several months, the 2020 Presidential Candidate for the [[Transhumanist Party (US)|U.S. Transhumanist Party]]. His campaign slogan was "Radical Life Extension Is Closer Than You Think." He also served as chair of the [[Arizona Transhumanist Party]].<ref>https://hpluspedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Transhumanist_Party</ref>

== The Futurist New Deal for America== 
[[File:BenZionPoster2.jpg|right|250px]]

The core Futurist New Deal platform consists of: 

I    Easy Electronic Voting <br>
II   Mandatory Voter Participation <br>
III  "Data For All" as a Public Good <br>
IV   Online Learning Options for K-12 <br>
V    Banning Crude Exports and Fossil Fuel Subsidies <br>
VI   Drug Decriminalization and Criminal Justice Reform<br>
VII  Legalization of Sex Work <br>
VIII Repeal “Citizens United” and Remove Dark Money from Politics<br>
IX   Dismantling the ALEC lobby<br>
X    52k a Year in Basic Income <br>

== Activism and Presidential Run ==
Ben Zion entered the USTP presidential primary relatively early in spring 2019. He participated in numerous interviews on [[Steele Archer]]'s show [[Debt Nation]]. In August 2019 Ben Zion made an announcement with rival candidate [[Kimberly Forsythe]], that each would choose the other as a vice presidential running mate should either of them win the primary election.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/thebasiliskawaits/posts/924423524584262?comment_id=924599744566640&notif_id=1566501621395107&notif_t=mentions_comment Facebook discussion]</ref> Around October, Forsythe left the race for professional reasons. 

After winning the primary, Ben Zion gave his acceptance speech along side Chairperson Gennady Stolyarov at [[RAADFest]] 2019 in Las Vegas. Shortly thereafter, film producer, entrepreneur, and longevity organizer [[Charlie Kam]] became Ben Zion's running mate. 

[[Dan Elton|Dr. Dan Elton]] was appointed as AI Policy Advisor and interim campaign manager. On October 19th, 2019, Ben Zion spoke to the DC Transhumanists meetup in Arlington, VA <ref>[https://www.meetup.com/DC-Transhumanists/events/265515865/ Johannon Ben Zion - The Futurist New Deal for America]</ref> and then met with the local SlateStarCodex and LessWrong groups. On Sunday Nov 3rd he spoke at the Foresight Institute's Vision Weekend Event in San Francisco. On November 24th, 2019 he spoke to undergraduates at Princeton University as part of the [[Princeton Envision]] conference.

== Departure ==
On June 12th, 2020, the Transhumanist Party announced that Ben Zion was no longer the party's candidate for US President due to alienating much of the broad spectrum of political supporters, culminating in the [[Ben Zion Burger]] incident:<ref>[https://transhumanist-party.org/2020/06/12/ustp-reorganization/ UNITED STATES TRANSHUMANIST PARTY ANNOUNCES MAJOR INTERNAL REORGANIZATION AND LAUNCH OF THE CHARLIE KAM 2020 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN]</ref>

<blockquote>
The USTP hereby confirms the departure of Johannon Ben Zion (J. Ben Zion) from our organization. As the USTP and several other groups combined and reorganized, Mr. Ben Zion found himself better aligned with a more directly techno-progressive platform and has opted to head that initiative, leaving his capable running-mate as the USTP’s candidate. Accordingly, the Officers of the USTP have determined to release Mr. Ben Zion from any of his roles and affiliations with the USTP, as well as from any previous endorsements by the USTP. 
</blockquote>

Ben Zion provided his public response to these developments in a Facebook video on 25th June 2020.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/thebasiliskawaits/videos/1181737732186172/ "A response to the lab-grown human-meat controversy"]</ref>

==External links==
*[https://www.facebook.com/edgeoflivingmemory/ Facebook page]
*[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4x7qcPc0T_XCtVnzav6YOQ The Futurist New Deal Podcast - Youtube Channel]
*[https://transhumanist-party.org/candidate-profiles/johannon-ben-zion/ Profile on the U.S. Transhumanist Party website]

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Transhumanists]]
[[Category:American transhumanists]]