Declan:

[Wow. First time I've ever been personally accused of being "a major reason for the downward spiral of society." --Declan]

Best way to mobilize a society: give them a Devil to hate. It's much easier to get people to hate than to love. Blame the Press, the Permissive Society, the Liberals, the Educational System. Of course, once you get rid of the Devil, it's usually a good idea to have the slave's collars on everyone BEFORE they realize the problem's still around.

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 03 Nov 1997 11:53:27 -0500 From: Jodi Hoffman To: fight-censorship@vorlon.mit.edu Subject: Why porn must be stopped at all costs.....

[sneck]

Try as I might, I cannot forget standing on the steps of the Supreme Court building with my husband and 10 year old daughter in the freezing drizzle. I really thought we could make a difference, standing there with our banner and signs, one of which read, "DON'T SACRIFICE MY CHILD ON THE ALTAR OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT." Stupid me. As the saying goes...we've come a long way, baby.

You need a song to cheer you up. Try this one: "There's a place in the world for the angry young man With his working-class ties and his radical plans, He refuses to bend, he refuses to fall, And he's always at home with his back to the wall. He's proud of the scars and the battles he's lost And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross, And he likes to be known as the angry young man." --Billy Joel, "Angry Young Man" [sneck]

So, keep protecting your porn-induced orgasms. That's exactly what happened with the Hitler youth, etc... After all, I'm sure it does help to blur the lines of reality.

You clearly need a better country to live in. I suggest China; they have a long history of keeping impure materials out of the hands of the easily influenced sheeple. If you have trouble there, perhaps Singapore, Iraq, Syria, or Lebanon would be more to your liking. If you're interested in a proven weight-loss program, maybe North Korea is your best bet. [sneck]

RULE FOR REVOLUTION #1: CORRUPT THE NATION'S YOUTH

Done already, by the gub'mint. Kids can't read or write at all nowadays, despite the high level of per-pupil spending.

RULE FOR REVOLUTION #2: CONTROL THE MASS MEDIA

Done already, by the FCC and the religious right.

RULE FOR REVOLUTION #3: ENCOURAGE PUBLIC INDIFFERENCE

Done already, by the actions of mudsucker politicians who seek re-election at any cost, even the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. "I think I'll vote Demopublican this year, or maybe Republicrat. I have such a hard time telling their extremist positions apart."

RULE FOR REVOLUTION #4: ENCOURAGE PUBLIC BICKERING

I could claim this was the reason Usenet was created, but I'm not a conspiracy buff. Of course, on C-SPAN, we can see politicians ranting at each other, the President, and nothing at all.

RULE FOR REVOLUTION #5: SEIZE POWER, THEN CENSOR

The religious right again.

RULE FOR REVOLUTION #6: BANKRUPT THE GOVERNMENT

See if you can guess who said this and when: "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury." Was it: a) Alexander Tytler, 18th century; b) Thomas Jefferson, early 1800s; c) Karl Marx, late 1800s; d) V. I. Lenin, 1915 Here's a hint: Pick the Scottish historian who lived in the 1700s. So the concept of a "bankrupt democracy" has been around for a while.

RULE FOR REVOLUTION #7: DESTROY NATIONAL VALUES

Create a climate of fear. Spread uncertainty and doubt among the populace. Wave the battle flags of pedophilia and terrorism proudly from the ramparts, so that people gladly give up their liberties to be saved from the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

RULE FOR REVOLUTION #8: ATTACK GUN OWNERSHIP

If someone were to hang around your child's schoolyard with a full-auto AK-47, would you scream "DON'T SACRIFICE MY CHILD ON THE ALTAR OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT"?

RULES FOR REVOLUTION #9 AND #10: UNDERMINE THE ARMED FORCES

Hey, that's one rule!

THE REALITY: Our country's armed forces consume a vast percentage of our gross national product.

Defense of any kind is wasteful by nature. Even white corpuscles don't do jack when there's no infection to fight.

We possess the best and most advanced weapons systems in the world. But our armed forces are a joke for two reasons: (1) they are completely restrained in their actions by a hostile Congress, and (2) the armed forces have been saddled with such a bad reputation that it is virtually impossible to fill the ranks with volunteers, even in the new and streamlined armed services.

Say what? The last I heard, military recruiting was up because it was a way to get training in technical areas that might otherwise be impossible for recruits to learn. (Of course, some people still have to carry rifles...)

FINAL REALITY: WELCOME TO AMERIKA, COMRADES.

Land of the Freeh, and the home of the knave. Thanks for making it just a little worse by your actions.