Re: [dvd-discuss] EFF opposes blacklisting spammers

[Tom <tom(at)lemuria.org>]

On Fri, Oct 19, 2001 at 04:12:08PM -0700, Bryan Taylor wrote:
> > > then shame on them for not being clear. There is a HUGE difference between
> > > government action and private action. 
> 
> > being?
> 
> The ability to arrest people that don't comply with their laws. The ability to
> shoot and kill people who resist arrest. The ability to raise armed military
> and police forces to implement the execution of laws.

yes, for the moment that is the major difference. however:

a) it's already eroding away in the 3rd world countries. "corporate
army" may be a word out of a cyberpunk book for us, but in some places
out there, rich drug lords, multinational corporations or privately
funded rebel/terrorist forces already do carry enough firepower to
challenge the national forces.

b) as said in a different mail: I think the megacorps are quite happy
with this situation. since they de facto own congress and thus the law
(with the exception of some basic constitutional limits, but they're
working on that), they have, in effect, that power. they just have it
indirectly which means a small reduction in power but a considerable
reduction in its maintainance cost.


> Well, I contend that the proxy law situation is unconstintutional and therefore
> represents an evil that absolutely undermines government legitimacy. The big
> budget issue I just don't care about. Good for them. They get it by creating
> value and trading it to willing trading parterns. That isn't power, that is
> success.

this isn't about whether or not their wealth is ethically acquired. its
about what it means for a society if unelected people wield more power
than the elected ones.

here's what I believe it means: a fake democracy that really is a
plutocracy. in my eyes this is worse than an actual plutocracy because
it quells unrest and chance of improvement.


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