From: dh12@dial.pipex.com
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 17:32:53 -0700 (PDT)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: 'what cypherpunks is about'
Message-ID: <199610260031.BAA13872@typhoon.dial.pipex.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Tim May should learn that holding 'harsh'
and 'realistic' opinions require a little
substantiation...not ignorence and blind
scepticism.

Rather than start an argument on third world
politics and the like I'll quote two sources
that Tim and everyone else ought to check
out. These are at the end of this post.

Second, ok so cypherpunks is not about the
redistribution of wealth is it?

How many of you would agree it is about
retaining the status quo?

Cypherpunks, in my (rather simplistic)
opinion, IS about the redistribution of
power. Wealth is often seen as a subset
of power.

The people who control assets today are by and
large criminals. This is not a judgement but
a simple statement...in the past the main
form of power was violence - 'Political
power grows from the barrel of a gun.' - Mao

More gained through war, pirecy and pillage
is today seen as liliy white, by the likes
of Tim May. This is ignorence. Look closer.

Cypherpunks & crypto gives us a chance today
to 'redistribute' the power base from one
based on fear, violence etc to one based on
information...wait! I didn't say this new
power base will be more ethical than the
last...who knows? It certainly has the
potential to be...that is what cypherpunks
is about...to me! To Tim May it's about
something very different.

But remember people are NOT sheep and nothing
lasts forever.

Historically, geographic areas such as
the third world are not responsible for
their current economic climate any more
than Tim May is responsible for the economic
sucess of the US, or for that matter the
criminal acts of Nixon...who is then? Read
on MacDuff...

Read 'A Fate Worse Than Debt' - Susan George
for a popular understanding on the third
world debt crisis. This will tell you about
'countless third world deaths' and also the
extent of Citibank's involvement.

A quote:

'If I were the president of a third world
nation...I would be far more frightened
by a well dressed gentleman bringing loans
from the IMF or Citibank than by a bearded
guerrilla muttering threats of revolution.'

- Lewis Lapham, Imperial Masquerade, 1990

For an economic perspective on third world
debt read:

 'Economics for a developing world'
 - Michael P Todaro, ISBN 0-582-07136-4

Zaid Hassan
ph93szh@brunel.ac.uk

ps.sorry if this is rather harsh Tim, you
sorta annoyed me.