Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 09:03:22 -0500
From: Unka Bart <mendicant-AT-buddhist.com>
Subject: Re: hope or not...


Scott Spaeth noted:

>At 05:22 PM 4/1/99 -0500, Unka Bart wrote:
>>G'day all,
>
>>If you want "Hope," you can find it in spades in *this* revolution.  Hell,
>>on the internet (which I would make analogous to the original telegrph)
>>*anyone* can put up a web-site - be a full-fledged *publisher, with one own
>>*Press* - no longer just states or major capitalists!  If you can't find
>>*HOPE* there, I don't know where it exists.
>>
>
>I agree with most of what Unka bart said, particularly about the nature of
>the next revolution,


But of course, Scott.  But that's to be expected from one who is widely and
justifibly known for his dashing good looks, impeccable taste and general
all around wisdom, is it not?

>but I am more pessimistic than hopeful about the
>future of the internet.  It's too free, it's been there in the fight for
>the Zapatistas and against the MAI, and it seems to be an all around hassle
>for "the man".  It's simply too good at allowing leftists, dissidents,
>whatever to stay in contact with each other and support each other for the
>powers that be to let it go on endlessly.  I don't know how, and I don't
>know when, but you're going to see a crackdown.  My guess is they'll use
>words like terrorist, conspiracy, etc to cut people and specifically
>servers they can't control out of the picture.

Methinks that you worry too much.  I do believe that what you worry about
is going on even as we speak - in fact, I know it is.  If you read and
listen, the paper and radio wave are full of such talk by the government.
But equally, I am confident, not worried, that the Djinn is out of the
bottle, the forces of darkness have taken too long to recognize the threat
and have waited too late.  In this current revolution, the forces of the
dark side are focusing on what is happening *today*, yet the rate of change
is so high that by the time they solve today's problem (to them), the world
has gone on to a newer, more powerful means of connection.

Djinns just simply cannot be stuffed back into their bottles...

Yer Kindly Ol' Unka Bart