From: Duncan Frissell <frissell@panix.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997 00:26:48 +0800
To: Kent Crispin <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Krispin Preaches Revolution!
In-Reply-To: <03534be19006e0aa4949847a944e6017@anon.efga.org>
Message-ID: <3.0.2.32.19970904113742.0366812c@panix.com>
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At 09:39 AM 8/29/97 -0700, Kent Crispin wrote:
>I have known since I was a grasshopper that people trying to effect
>change have a vested interest in making current reality look bad. 
>People entrenched in the power structure, on the other hand, have a
>vested interest in making current reality look good.  
>
>When change doesn't happen, or especially when it goes in a direction
>undesired by the revolutionaries, but liked by the citizens, the
>effort to make current reality look bad intensifies.  When change
>irrevocably passes to an unwanted state, and the revolutionaries
>"lose", a residue of Bitter Old Revolutionary Extremists (BOREs)
>results.  These toothless old tigers, clinging to their youthful
>dreams, rage at a reality that passed them by.  Snarling and
>perpetually misunderstood, they wither and waste away, Cheshire cat
>evil grimace postcripts to history. 

Course the analysis fails when faced with those who think things are good and 
getting better in revolutionary ways disliked by the "powers that be".

None of us have had time to become Bitter Old Revolutionary Extremists yet.  
Tim and I am members of the same birth cohort.  He tends towards depression 
and I tend towards optimism but both of us have seen quite a few changes over 
the years and neither of us are in the position of the American Marxists of 
the 1930s or 1960s New Left radicals who saw their dreams die.

Market liberalism is ascendant.  And it is still in its early period of 
ascendancy.  The Economist observed earlier this year that "We are all 
liberals now".  Pointing out that illiberal philosophies had shuffled off the 
world stage.

Note that "socialism" started circa 1850, rose steadily until the middle of 
this century, and then crashed and burned.  "Red Tony" in the UK is showing 
himself to be slightly to the right of John Boy Major as the students, 
aliens, and pro-inflationists of the UK have recently discovered.

Market Earth continues to take names and kick ass worldwide.  I felt much 
more depressed about the possibilities of a society built on voluntary 
interaction 30, 20, or 10 years ago than I do now.

The fact is that change is continuing and accelerating because people have 
the means to change their own lives.  Since "revolution" which originates 
from the independent and unled actions of millions of people cannot easily be 
suppressed, traditional political analysis fails.

Conquering an "anarchy" is hard enough because of the lack of anyone to 
surrender.  Conquering an "anarchy" that is springing up all around you at 
the "speed of business" or in "net time" is even harder.  The only tactical 
option that would work for our rulers in the current political situation is 
to "nuke us back to the stone age" so that they could regain their 
traditional force ratios.

If the people are not deprived of the wealth and physical powers that they 
now possess (at least in the OECD countries), they are no longer controlled 
in a real sense.  Nominal controls exist but they are weak and ineffective.  
If you doubt this, ask any cop.

DCF

Needed:  A lion untamer.  The cage has been removed but the lion continues to 
pace back and forth over his old ground out of habit.  We need a lion untamer 
who can convince the lion that he's no longer in a cage.





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