Freemen and Serfs

[nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)]

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There is a widely held belief that cryptoanarchy is an all or nothing
proposition; that is, the future can be a glorious cryptoanarchy or a
dismal police state.  (I think this is Tim May's analysis, but perhaps
others also contributed.)

It isn't clear to me that these two environments cannot co-exist in a
stable equilibrium.  Historically, in many societies which practiced
slavery, large numbers of people were neither slaves nor slave owners.

Given the naivete of large portions of the population and certain
alarming technologies such as implants which are emerging, it seems
clear that large numbers of people will become little more than cattle
in the near future.  (Incidentally, I do not know that this will be
"Joe Sixpack" and his friends.  Many of those who are "success"
oriented are also most willing to be drug tested, the most reluctant
to question authority, and the least reluctant to be little more than
a cog in the machine.)

In any event, those who perceive their environment and respond
correctly may continue to be free while others will take the other
path.  It's tragic, of course, but perhaps not our problem.  Monty
Cantsin is willing to spend only so much time and effort encouraging
people to protect their privacy.

There's no reason why cypherpunks can't do business with the slavers.
That is, in exchange for various products requiring actual work,
cypherpunks (a.k.a. knowledge workers) can provide technical expertise
and other services.

Once it is clear that enslaving a cypherpunk is expensive, it may be
that the slavers of the world discover they can live with it and that
it may even be a good deal for them.

There might be some turmoil getting to that point, of course.  Many
U.S. citizens have been told they were free, although the ruling elite
tends to see them as chattle.  This difference of opinion will have to
be resolved one way or another.  Hopefully it will be done peacefully.

Perhaps instead of seeing ourselves as "The Sons of Liberty" we should
see ourselves as "The Sons of Tleilax".

Monty Cantsin
Editor in Chief
Smile Magazine
http://www.neoism.org/squares/smile_index.html
http://www.neoism.org/squares/cantsin_10.htm

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