At 08:04 ìì 17/11/1996 -0500, Black Unicorn wrote:

...

Given that the free market rule is "he who has the money makes the rules", please explain how anything less than "subsidized speech" (as you put it) is anything close to free speech?

[For those who's assumptions rule their perception: I am *not* arguing that all speech should be subsidized. I am merely pointing out that the organization that is spending the money to broadcast is controlling the speech, hence it is *not* free speech in terms of freedom or cost.]

Again, you confuse free speech with free broadcast.

Well, I propose a solution to this problem: I don't mind paying fees in fact, if the prices are reasonable. For instance THIS text was _paid_ for, since I pay my Internet provider a certain amount of money every month. It would be unthinkable, however, that my Internet Provider would mess around with THIS text, or with ANY opinion of mine (I am sure you agree). Now, a mailing list has _some_ similarities to the services of an Internet provider, except (usually) the _cost_. I am sure Mr. Gilmore would be more than happy to be _paid_ for the (faulty) services he provides (to his list-members), since e.g. 1900 members times $1 per 2 months (shall we say) would earn him (shall we say) 950 dollars a month; Not much perhaps in some countries, but enough in most places as compensation for the services he provides. The problem with Mr. Gilmore (apart from being an asshole) is really that he is rather a thick-minded proponent of censorship of his list's 'eccentric' members, that such subtleties don't even cross his mind.

Forward complaints to : European Association of Envelope Manufactures Finger for Public Key Gutenbergstrasse 21;Postfach;CH-3001;Bern Vote Monarchist Switzerland

"Heaven is a place policed by the English, cheered-up by the the Greeks, and organized by the Germans. Hell is a place organized by the Greeks, policed by the Germans, and cheered-up by the English." ...And what have the noble Swiss got to with this shit? They are the bankers for both! :-) Regards George