What is a cypherpunk?

James A. Donald jamesd at echeque.com
Thu Feb 10 21:44:55 PST 2005


    --
James A. Donald wrote:
> > If, however, you decline to pay taxes, men with guns will 
> > attack you.
> >
> > That is the difference between private power and government 
> > power.

ken wrote:
> But in most places at most times the state is run at least
> partly by and for the rich and the owners of property and
> supports and privileges their continuing private power.

The state was created to attack private property rights - to
steal stuff.  Some rich people are beneficiaries, but from the
beginning, always at the expense of other rich people.

> And there are circumstances where private individuals send
> men with guns to attack you if you  cross them.

Compare mafia "extortion" with government "taxation".  The
mafia charges are small in proportion as their power is small.
The Gangsta disciples charged drug dealers thirty dollars a
month for protection, and, unlike the state, actually provided
protection.   The mafia cannot afford to seriously piss off its
customers, because there is no large difference between
customer firepower and mafia firepower.  The government, on the
other hand, can afford to seriously piss of its subjects.

The federal government established its monopoly of force by
burning Atlanta and Shenendoah.  Al Capone did the Saint
Valentine's day massacre.  Big difference.

> Quite a lot of them, from the feudal barons, to drug-dealers
> in modern cities, to just about anywhere out of easy reach of
> the state's police.

Again, compare the burning of Shenendoah with the Saint
Valentine's day massacre.  There is just no comparison.
Governmental crimes are stupendously larger, and much more
difficult to defend against.

    --digsig
         James A. Donald
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