Re: Whalepunks, Marginpunks, Gunpunks, Clintonpunks, and Politics

["Perry E. Metzger" <perry@piermont.com>]

Timothy C. May writes:
> In general, I think Phill raises some good points about the efficiency of
> free markets. However, I doubt that Cypherpunks is the proper forum for
> debating economic theory, for various reasons.
[...]
> However, the reason many of us don't jump in and write defenses of free
> markets here (and I would not have except to make my transhumanist joke--so
> sue me) is that this list is not "Libernet" nor any of the similar
> political discussion lists.

Am I the only person who finds this comment, in context, howlingly funny?

> Secondly, there is almost zero chance that any of us will have our
> views changed by such political arguments, so why bother?

Mine were many years ago -- 

> But arguing the merits of capitalism vs. socialism, for example, has rarely
> been fruitful in the past 10 years of the Usenet,

And I know of other people who's ideas were changed by such
discussions. A couple of them subscribe to this list.

In any case, Tim, this *is* now the sewer list, the place where
anything at all may be flushed by the inhabitants, partially as a result
of your own lobbying against "Perrygrams" and such. I understand that
many do not like the taste of their own drek, but hey, its what you
asked for. Repeatedly, you stood your ground and staked your claim and
said "no one will tell ME what to do", and well, you got what you
wanted.

Perry