From: jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 1996 15:08:05 +0800
To: Decius <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Why am I wrong?
Message-ID: <m0tjhAS-0008zxC@pacifier.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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At 09:54 PM 2/5/96 -0500, Decius wrote:
>I am posting this pondering to cypherpunks in hopes that it will be refuted.
[stuff deleted]
>
>         	            Crypto-Absolutism
>			decius@ninja.techwood.org
[more stuff deleted]

>	On the other hand, we have the crypto-anarchists. They believe 
>that the existence of anonymous transactions will naturally lend itself 
>to a situation where everyone is anonymous, no transaction can be 
>tracked, no communications can be monitored, and basically, no 
>government can possibly control the transactions and interactions of its 
>citizens. They support the broad use of military grade cryptography and 
>anominity. Let no message be crackable or traceable. This, also, is an 
>absolute belief and it is also flawed. We have governments for a 
>reason, we came together and founded societies for protection, and if 
>we tore apart our current social structure and created an anarchy, 
>people would immediately form small societies for their own fiscal 
>protection. Creating an anarchy is a massive step backward in social 
>development, not a step forward. Furthermore, PEOPLE WANT TO BE 
>ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. 

<sigh>  Well, I suppose that if there is anyone who is most opposed to the
opinion you expressed in the paragraph above, it is myself.

I believe:

1.  Governments will no longer be "necessary," if they ever were.

2.  Protection will no longer depend on having a "government."

3.  Anonymous networking technology will protect our rights, to the extent
they can be protected.

4.  Your statement, "...anarchy is a massive step backward..." is absolutely
incorrect.


Note for the others:  I am forwarding this person a copy of my essay.





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