Timothy C. May writes:
Mike Duvos, speaking for cretins everywhere, writes:
Timothy C. May, speaking for parents everywhere, writes:
Please, Mike, let's not resort to winning arguments with comments such as yours above.
I'm not sure why suggesting that many parents would agree with the views recently expressed by you about controlling their childrens' access to the media is a comment you take offense at, what it has to do with "winning" one way or another, or why you would characterize those having an opposing point of view as cretins.
I think I was reasonably polite in my response to you, even foregoing my intended spoof (along the lines of Christian Fundamentalists demanding the right to speak to the children of Heathens and Jews, a point consistent with your point that parents have no right to stop such sources of outside information).
I wouldn't really have a problem with children hearing the views of Christian Fundamentalists, as long as participation wasn't obligatory, and it wasn't a state-sponsored event. If the children were teens, I would feel quite uncomfortable with the notion of parents having the power to deny them access to such information.
Social Darwinism carried to its logical extreme is not a pretty sight, even for one fond of viewing the misfortune of others as "evolution in action."
Personal attacks are not welcome on this list, Mike. Not by me, at least. If you persist, your comments will get no further answer from me.
No personal attack intended. I am a strong supporter of egalitarian societies with strong social safety nets, and think that youth emancipation will likely be the next big civil rights movement in this country. I am also willing to pay high taxes in order to feel secure that all citizen-units are suitably housed, well-fed, and taken care of. This is entirely self-serving on my part, since it cuts down on social unrest and street crime.
My children are not allowed to visit public libraries, as I dislike having them exposed to the collectivist ideas therein. When they have read all the books in our home, preferably twice, then perhaps I will allow them to visit a library. I also school them at home. Perfectly legal.
I spent a large part of my childhood in university libraries and learned a lot more from the books they contained than I ever got out of the decaying public school system. I'm sure I would have been outraged if anyone had ever suggested that such information be forbidden me solely because of my age, or the wishes of my parents. I can only hope that the preceeding was another one of your witty parodies. I've never met a parent before who would forbid their children access to a library.
Anyone who supports censorship of one view or another, who supports forcible intervention in family and group culture, probably will not care for the inevitable implications of strong cryptography.
Au contraire. I view strong crypto as a liberating influence on everyone who is a member of the aforementioned families or groups. strong crypto = absolute personal privacy. I think the transition to an information-based economy will result in a fundamental reorganization of who wields power in our society. In the future, all information will be available to everyone and a 30 year old might have no advantage over a 12 year old in his ability to create wealth. This is certain to effect major alterations to the power balance within families. In times in the historical past, young people began closely associating with adults at a young age and were able to function as adults by the time they reached their early teens. As society became more complex, and a lengthy education was required to do anything useful, childhood was extended and children were disempowered in order to better serve the ever-growing and all-powerful educational cabal. This process has now peaked, and our society is filled with 35 year old college educated children who can't afford to move out of their parents homes. A reversal is iminent, aided by the explosive growth of personal information technology, and public education as we know it is heaving its last dying gasp. All positive signs, IMHO. -- Mike Duvos $ PGP 2.6 Public Key available $ mpd@netcom.com $ via Finger. $