Amen.

And as an additional claim of bullshit, to say that corporations, and in turn the people of the industrial world, are not controlled by government is to completely deny the fact that the federal government is partly designed to, and spends most of it's energy on, regulating commerce. Read this:

http://www.libertyhaven.com/regulationandpropertyrights/bankingmoneyorfinance/reforminggov.shtml

And while you are at it, you may want to check out a few government sites:

http://www.fcc.gov (my least fave)
http://www.usdoj.gov/
http://www.fbi.gov/
http://www.federalreserve.gov/
http://www.nsa.gov/
http://www.faa.gov/
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
http://www.fra.dot.gov/welcome.html
http://www.hcfa.gov/

That's just a few (the most egregious offenders in poor regulation), but if you want more, I can send them to you. I'm not saying corporations do not exert control over our everyday lives. My point is, as much as I too like William Gibson, and as much as I was hoping Nader would get his requisite percentage of the popular vote and stir up some trouble, corporations simply do not run things by themselves. The government does far more to control us (and just generally piss in our rice crispies) than corporations. Gauranteed.

ok,
Rush

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Choate [mailto:ravage@einstein.ssz.com]
Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 3:21 PM
To: cypherpunks@einstein.ssz.com
Subject: Re: Jim Bell arrested documents online (fwd)

At 09:58 PM 11/23/00 -0500, Anonymous wrote:

>Apparently because businesses do not use guns.
>
>They are missing the fact that majority of people never encounter/use
>guns in their life, and that the principal way of behavioural control
>is propaganda/ideology. Most of the people in the industrial world are
>directly and tightly controlled by corporations, not governments.

Bullshit on all points.

If you don't believe businesses don't use guns then you should check
around. Hell, my local grocery has an armed guard at the front entrance
when it's open (and other times I suspect). Tell this to your local
mid-level drug dealer.

Most people encounter a gun at least daily within say 50 ft. of their
person, thought they may not be aware of it or individualy handle it.

Most people, industrial country or not, are controlled by the beliefs they
hold and what they believe is acceptable. Corporations and governments are
as much a victim of this as the individual is.

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