-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Steve Schear wrote:

Many injustices follow from form and scale of government. I won't be the first to point out that as the number of people, geography and ethnic diversity increase governance becomes ever more difficult and as is the balancing of individual liberty over the "overiding interests of the society." The solution is clear, the method of its emergence is not. Smaller geo-political units. I doubt that our pressing social and political problems can be adequately delt with until the scale of governance is changed, but this requires those in the center to give up much and historically this has rarely if ever happened without bloodshed.

Monty Cantsin wrote elsewhere:

One of the things that appeals to me about the tools the cypherpunks are developing is the likelihood that they will end war. What percentage of wars are instigated and organized by governments? That is, how many wars can we think of in which a war originated in the population of country and dragged its unwilling government into the fray? I cannot think of any.

War is often used to justify the existence of government. If politicians can convince the people that they have an enemy that must be destroyed, the people willingly give their lives and livelihood to the government to fight this assumed enemy. War feeds the expansion of a government's power over its citizens. After the war has ended, the government maintains this newfound power. Interestingly, the 20th century, which has been the bloodiest in recorded history, has also been the century of failed experiments in large-scale government. The former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia are clear examples of what happens when different groups of people (who would rather not be associated) are forced to live together at the point of a gun. The disolution of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, and the subsequent violence and unrest clearly illustrate the results of forced association. Governments are impedements to the free and voluntary interaction among the world's people. Look how vehemently governments attempt to block the flow of certain types of information to their people. Trade barriers, censorship and control of communications channels are three of the tools governments use to restrict a free global society. The trend now is toward smaller political units. The recent dissolution of former socialist nation-states is one example. The growth in the "State Sovereignty" movement in America is another. "Those in the center", as Steve refers to them, may not have any choice about giving up what they have. Their only hope would be to spread enough lies (via the mass media channels) to convince the majority of people to back them, in another war of course. We must remember that people are reluctant -- and for good reason -- to go to war. Common sense prevails, though it may not be exercised all that often. War can be avoided if the truth of the situation is revealed to the populace: the spotlight shone on the puppetmasters. At the same time, clear solutions to the problems that have accumulated due to blind faith in an unworkable system have to be presented and implemented. The transition will not be easy. We have our work cut out for us. Nerthus -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP for Personal Privacy 5.0 Charset: noconv iQEVAwUBNG85MeFWwZe05jcJAQFddAf/boDWEY9HU5OxiRkOthDmEOn6fGbe/m/q r1QJz26TYQ+VH/3fMjbHeTpcOv9LwPPFpFx0HgW+FQOjFs5cBDUfbAZCliq8mDb8 CLXLmqh/DeFEPtMDMHHMakIYxT+uL06vR2jWXyvQFHQZLX/D0PvLTDf2/PFN2B3A yKln3C5yDcO54aHmlWjMz3nBVMBokGYcrvqUj8qlTX29B7CVq3bFPlbtm98mUhrD tpHCAHgLugjocNcoKPcNZblB0G52SP6uN/gvQj9fm0dixqKZbMjp6VHWpTAkQ2HR dfGlpcEZz7rnf3teqOMHlY858Z0Dkax+/9GvBbBSv8yGcOeaZRQuow== =eqJh -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----