From: mpd@netcom.com (Mike Duvos)
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 94 16:14:51 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Children and the Net
In-Reply-To: <199407312253.PAA23639@netcom9.netcom.com>
Message-ID: <199407312314.QAA16264@netcom4.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Timothy C. May writes:

 > Mike Duvos, speaking for cretins everywhere, writes:
 >> Timothy C. May, speaking for parents everywhere, writes:

 > Please, Mike, let's not resort to winning arguments with
 > comments such as yours above.

I'm not sure why suggesting that many parents would agree with
the views recently expressed by you about controlling their
childrens' access to the media is a comment you take offense at,
what it has to do with "winning" one way or another, or why you
would characterize those having an opposing point of view as
cretins.

 > I think I was reasonably polite in my response to you, even
 > foregoing my intended spoof (along the lines of Christian
 > Fundamentalists demanding the right to speak to the children
 > of Heathens and Jews, a point consistent with your point
 > that parents have no right to stop such sources of outside
 > information).

I wouldn't really have a problem with children hearing the views
of Christian Fundamentalists, as long as participation wasn't
obligatory, and it wasn't a state-sponsored event.  If the
children were teens, I would feel quite uncomfortable with the
notion of parents having the power to deny them access to such
information.

 >> Social Darwinism carried to its logical extreme is not a pretty
 >> sight, even for one fond of viewing the misfortune of others as
 >> "evolution in action."

 > Personal attacks are not welcome on this list, Mike. Not by
 > me, at least. If you persist, your comments will get no
 > further answer from me.

No personal attack intended.  I am a strong supporter of
egalitarian societies with strong social safety nets, and think
that youth emancipation will likely be the next big civil rights
movement in this country.  I am also willing to pay high taxes in
order to feel secure that all citizen-units are suitably housed,
well-fed, and taken care of.  This is entirely self-serving on my
part, since it cuts down on social unrest and street crime.

 > My children are not allowed to visit public libraries, as I
 > dislike having them exposed to the collectivist ideas
 > therein. When they have read all the books in our home,
 > preferably twice, then perhaps I will allow them to visit a
 > library. I also school them at home. Perfectly legal.

I spent a large part of my childhood in university libraries and
learned a lot more from the books they contained than I ever got
out of the decaying public school system.  I'm sure I would have
been outraged if anyone had ever suggested that such information
be forbidden me solely because of my age, or the wishes of my
parents.

I can only hope that the preceeding was another one of your witty
parodies.  I've never met a parent before who would forbid their
children access to a library.

 > Anyone who supports censorship of one view or another, who
 > supports forcible intervention in family and group culture,
 > probably will not care for the inevitable implications of
 > strong cryptography.

Au contraire.  I view strong crypto as a liberating influence on
everyone who is a member of the aforementioned families or
groups. strong crypto = absolute personal privacy.

I think the transition to an information-based economy will
result in a fundamental reorganization of who wields power in our
society.  In the future, all information will be available to
everyone and a 30 year old might have no advantage over a 12 year
old in his ability to create wealth.  This is certain to effect
major alterations to the power balance within families.

In times in the historical past, young people began closely
associating with adults at a young age and were able to function
as adults by the time they reached their early teens.  As society
became more complex, and a lengthy education was required to do
anything useful, childhood was extended and children were
disempowered in order to better serve the ever-growing and
all-powerful educational cabal.

This process has now peaked, and our society is filled with 35
year old college educated children who can't afford to move out
of their parents homes.  A reversal is iminent, aided by the
explosive growth of personal information technology, and public
education as we know it is heaving its last dying gasp.

All positive signs, IMHO.

-- 
     Mike Duvos         $    PGP 2.6 Public Key available     $
     mpd@netcom.com     $    via Finger.                      $