From: Hal <hfinney@shell.portal.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 94 21:00:48 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Voluntary Governments?
In-Reply-To: <9408041330.AA03044@ua.MIT.EDU>
Message-ID: <199408050412.VAA22116@jobe.shell.portal.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


solman@MIT.EDU writes:

>In cyberspace, the default condition is that there is no interaction.
>Communication requires agreement by both parties. During this
>agreement, the laws (contracts, whatever) that the two parties
>follow can be communicated by each party to the other, and if
>party A does not feel that party B's laws provide him with
>enough protection from B, he can refuse contact until B agrees
>(at least for the duration of the communication) to more
>constraining laws. The cost of such a transaction will likely
>be negligible in cyberspace.

The problem I have with this is that there is no such place as cyberspace.
I am not in cyberspace now; I am in California.  I am governed by the
laws of California and the United States even though I am communicating
with another person, whether by postal mail or electronic mail, by
telephone or TCP/IP connection.  What does it mean to speak of a govern-
ment in cyberspace?  It is the government in physical space I fear.  Its
agents carry physical guns which shoot real bullets.  Until I am able
to live in my computer and eat electrons, I don't see the relevance of
cyberspace.

Hal