From: hughes@ah.com (Eric Hughes)
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 93 11:15:28 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: No digital coins (was: Chaum on the wrong foot?)
In-Reply-To: <9308241414.AA01681@snark.lehman.com>
Message-ID: <9308241805.AA06449@ah.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>Charge you for performing services? Shudder -- how horrible!
>Capitalism! Ohmygod!

I count this comment as an intentional misreading of my position.

I am not a libertarian, nor is it likely that I ever will be.  I've
also read E. F. Schumacher's _Small is Beautiful_ and thought much of
it was just plain wrong, or, at best, unprovable.  

I read your words as an attempt to enforce a sort of libertarian
political correctness, as insulting as that phrase will no doubt be to
you.

The agenda of privacy is orthogonal to most partisan political
positions.  As strong as the libertarian presence is on this list, it
is by no means the only view.  It is precisely because cypherpunk
issues cut clean across the political spectrum that they are so
powerful.

I expect no one here to wear seamless garments of any cut or cloth.

There are many on this list whose personal agendas call for making the
world safe for greater accumulations of capital.  This is not at all
my agenda, yet I have put aside my repugnance at this in pursuit of a
common goal.  While I expect no one to hold to any particular view,
I do expect that everyone here treat opposing views with respect, or
better yet, with silence.

The cypherpunks list is about creating privacy.  We assume that
everyone here wants the availability of more privacy than they
currently have.  We need not debate the particulars of these reasons,
nor need we suppress the statements of these reasons.  I am perfectly
happy with individuals stating their own reasons for desiring privacy;
these statements are powerful and useful, yet they should not engender
debate on this list as to their propriety.  Should anyone insist on
debating belief, private e-mail is always available.

I know that when the goals of personal privacy are achieved that the
people and opinions that currently cohere on this list will fragment
and splinter.  I do not want this dispersal to happen, however, before
our goals are acheived.  Disrespect for each other, or, in other
words, bone-headed stupidity, will certainly accomplish a premature
dissolution.

Let us work together while we need to, and no longer.

Eric