Seth Finkelstein, reluctant cypherpunk?

[Jim Choate]

On Tue, 3 Apr 2001, Sandy Sandfort wrote:

> Jim most certainly did miss my point.  I said, in essence, that we are doing
> the anti-privacy crowd's a service when we argue among ourselves.  Jim's
> still arguing left vs. right vs. libertarian vs. whatever.  Get with the
> program, Jim.

No Sandy, it's still you and your anarchist/libertarian/heirarchist 
cohorts who miss the point.

It isn't our arguing that gives them anything. What they're afraid of is
we'll find a way to live together and still have our individual views
fully protected. What frightens all of you is you'll find out you haven't
found 'the way', that in fact there is no such beast. Utopia doesn't exist
and can't.

You want to know what they fear the most (and anarchist, libertarians, and
all manipulative philosophies)?

That the populate in general will find a way to resolve the disparities
and problems by simple understanding and toleration.

Toleration doesn't mean an end to arguments. Why? Because democracy isn't
built on 'cooperation', it's built on confrontation. It's built on drawing
a line in the sand and knocking the living shit out of anyone, anyone, who
steps over it. And knowing that when it comes to a time for accounting
those fellow citizens will support your choice. Why? Because the
initiation of force (ie stepping over the line) is NEVER JUSTIFIED FOR ANY
REASON. EVER.

     When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one
     people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them
     with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the
     separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of
     Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of
     mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel
     them to the separation.

     We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
     equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
     unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
     pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments
     are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
     consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government
     becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People
     to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying
     its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in
     such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their
     Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that
     Governments long established should not be changed for light and
     transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that
     mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable,
     than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are
     accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations,
     pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce
     them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their
     duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for
     their future security.

There is one, and only one 'truth' about human society.

The buck stops with the individual citizen.

    ____________________________________________________________________

       Beware gentle knight, there is no greater monster than reason.

                                             Miguel de Cervantes

       The Armadillo Group       ,::////;::-.          James Choate
       Austin, Tx               /:'///// ``::>/|/      ravage at ssz.com
       www.ssz.com            .',  ||||    `/( e\      512-451-7087
                           -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'-
    --------------------------------------------------------------------