'what cypherpunks is about' [RANT]

[Dale Thorn]

Timothy C. May wrote:
> At 1:30 AM -0600 11/1/96, snow wrote:
> >Mr. Hassen wrote:
> >> But remember people are NOT sheep and nothing lasts forever.

> > Yes, they are, and death does.

> >Loans to third world counties are made (obstensively) to help industry and farming
> >to be developed, and to improve the conditions of the people. It rarely works that
> >way, and I think it is a wasted effort, but it is better than nothing.

> We mine the copper they have no money to mine and pay them with worthless trinkets
> like penicillin, schools, and roads.  We are exploiting them. Yep, they are better
> off in a state of natural grace, eating grubs and with a life expectancy of 35.

Since this is such a perfect example of making unfair judgements about other people's
lives (you do agree that their lives are their own, I hope), I'll add a comment:

There is nothing wrong with having a life expectancy of 35, if you grow up in a society
where the normal lifespan is 35.  To say that it's "bad", and that we "simply must"
dispense our technology upon "them" is bogus.  Sure, most techno-freaks would leap at
the chance to expand their own lifespans to, say, 200+ years (with good health), and
acquire nifty advanced techno devices as well should some unforseen advanced race or
species dispense that stuff on us.

But think about that for a minute.  You can't assume that the visitors are going to
let you just have all of that, and all you have to do is work hard and suck up to them
and you'll be rewarded, etc.

"Those people" in "those countries" are where they are not because they don't have
money and technology per se, it's because of what's in their minds.  I'll support a
neighborly approach when that's what we're talking about, but you and me aren't going
over "there" with the Boy Scouts to lend them a hand, now, are we?  No, we're going
to collect taxes and send the Government instead.

Everybody fantasizes about something for nothing, even when the fantasy is U.S. giving
"those people" something they "really need".  Fooey.