Blanc Weber wrote: NOTE: original posting undeliverable due to spelling: cyhpherpunks

From: Dale Thorn If you could analogize the list to a human society, then you might understand that a pattern of decadence can set in here as it does in the more visible society, as is run from Washington DC, etc. It is my hope to make a contribution here (as in the more visible society) to fight off some of that decadence, even when I get beat up on for it.

There is a huge the difference between a society of people relating to each other based on principles of coercion vs an extemporaneous society of individuals who make their own decisions (daily) about when/where/how long they will associate with another. The society run by Washington,D.C. expects that people will have no choice but to fly in formation in the direction set by the leader who represents the majority (sort of).

That's a judgement, rather than an obvious truth. Fact is, service in Washington is purely voluntary, and one can leave anytime they wish.

The virtual "society" of the cpunks is only based on their interest in opening up their mail and reading a few messages here & there according to their mood of the day or the moment.

Sounds pretty casual, doesn't it? Maybe there are a *few* c-punks who fit that description, but there are at least as many who are in this thing for some heavy action, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

It is true that formal societies, like the one which was initially intended by The Founders (of the US), often run afoul of the original purpose for which it was begun. They decay for many reasons. This is precisely one of the elements in the background of the cpunks thinking ("the founders" and others) about societies and the "ties that bind" (supposedly) us to each other: the interest in being released from that supposition that we are bound to each other and are obligated to maintain a relationship of some kind (as determined by the PC moral 'authorities').

[snip] When I "joined" the Audio Engineering Society in the late 1970's, to get their journal cheap, it was going pretty good. Eventually it decayed quite a bit, where they were running more pictures of their get-togethers and awards programs than anything else. I see cypherpunks in the same straits potentially, as long as so many of the long-term "members" can continue claiming that "It belongs to one person, really, our Cypherpunks God", etc. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of potential here, and I hope it continues, but.... BTW, thanks for a very civil reply.