On Needing Killing

[Riad S. Wahby]

An Metet <anmetet at freedom.gmsociety.org> wrote:
> This stuff should be Cypherpunks 101.

...along with Assassination Politics.  I've always taken "X needs
killing" to be a statement to the effect that same had earned himself
an AP-style contract, if only such a thing existed.

While your point is good, inasmuch as it's important to realize that
many illegitimate restrictions on liberty can be circumvented with
cpunk technologies, there are other ramifications that are just as
meaningful.  With widespread adoption of cpunk technologies comes the
demonopolization of force, the anonymity necessary for AP-style
contract markets, &c.  It's inevitable---even if {you, the government,
whomever} doesn't like the idea of such uses of cpunk technologies---
that these things will spring up.  After all, there will likely be
great demand for them, and cpunk tech will have enabled them in just
the same way it's enabled circumvention of other restrictions on
liberty.

It's useful to be reminded what the cpunks will have wrought.  Like it
or not, "needs killing" is likely to remain a fixture around here.

-- 
Riad Wahby
rsw at jfet.org
MIT VI-2 M.Eng