Major Variola (ret) (2004-04-11 16:42Z) wrote:
Blacknet is a robust archive for words, immune to force (by State or private actors), but merely words.
With all due respect to the principle of freedom of speech and all
At 07:20 PM 4/11/04 +0000, Justin wrote: that,
I think that cypherpunks, and people in general, give far too little respect to words, as if words are a vague, unimportant, and remote link
in the chain of causation of acts or failure-to-acts. I don't see anything wrong with Orwell's view that words control the future's view of history. His certainly have.
Language is how you manipulate people from a distance. Much more convenient than hitting them. Crypto *can* keep bits free. And so maybe language. But Men with Guns control physical reality, which limits what those bits can do. Read the archives on the problems with linking "credits" to dollars or physical merchandise. Note that the Saudis are organizing conferences on registering and recording hawala. Note that the US will kidnap (mexican MD for instance) if they can't extradite. And how many will run a prohibited node when the penalty is watching your family assets seized, family members raped, before your eyes are gouged out? --- "It can't happen here" -Suzy Creamcheese