From: "Phillip M. Hallam-Baker" <hallam@ai.mit.edu>
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 14:12:09 -0800 (PST)
To: "'cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: Re: Fighting the cybercensor. (fwd)
Message-ID: <199701282212.OAA04686@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




Jim Choate <ravage@einstein.ssz.com> wrote in article <5c5891$ah@life.ai.mit.edu>...

> > Singapore and China are blocking certain net groups. I think
> > this is a bad thing, question is how can we stop it?
> 
> 'We' shouldn't, it is their own country and it is up to their populace to
> stop it. Do you really want Singapore or China having a say in how we run
> our web? I certainly don't, and won't support any move to force any
> particular view on them. If Billy-Bob wants to shoot himself in the foot,
> let him. Might be purty funny to watch.

I don't agree with your view of states. The inhabitants of a
geographical area are not mere chattels of the governing power.

The right to rule rests on certain criteria which I believe neither 
country meets. The harassment of opposition politicians in
obviously trumped up charges disqualifies any country from
calling itself a democracy.


> > The Web was conceived as offering despots and dictators a choice 
> > between remaining in the dark ages and allowing freedom of
> > speech. Blocking and filtering schemes threaten this ideal.
> 
> Bull, the web was conceived so physicist and other researchers could share
> data in a easily digestible format. 

That was not all. We had a political Web site established
during the '92 election. I was in contact with Clinton's people
when we had fewer than 100 Web sites.

I am a cyber-revolutionary and the world has bought into
the chaos of our revolution. I never intended the Web to be a tool
for confirming the present social order which is manifestly 
corrupt.


	Phill