From: Dale Thorn <dthorn@gte.net>
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 06:40:27 -0800 (PST)
To: hjk <hjk@ddorf.rhein-ruhr.de>
Subject: Re: Thoughts re moderation, filtering, and name changes
Message-ID: <199701211440.GAA06625@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


hjk wrote:
> Just one thing about the names of the different lists: I received a
> mail listing the changes to come. It was very easy to understand that
> I am going to get the moderated list if I do not change my subscription.
> I'll find out if I will miss something. We'll see.
> I wonder who is so brainless, not to understand what's going on.
> Do you really think the subscribers are pure Idiots?

Well, Heinz.  You live in a country full of people, ordinary people,
variously called the hoi polloi, the sheeple, the unwashed masses,
and other interesting names.

Many credible and respected authors and commentators have made references
to the masses in one form or another as "stupid, lazy, ignorant,
selfish, etc.", or even "almost useless".

Now whatever you think of your fellow citizens, or even those of the
USA (to name an example), I'm sure is OK on whatever basis you apply
your judgement.  But I guarantee you that the people on the cypherpunks
list are no more or less intelligent than the people who vegetate in
front of their TV sets every day, right there where you live, in all
probability. If you believe that your fellow citizens vote intelligently,
then I respond that cypherpunks vote intelligently.  What do you think?