4de177df   
   XPost: alt.hacker, alt.conspiracy   
   From: TMH@theguild.org   
      
   Benj wrote:   
   >>   
   >> >The notion that "powerful people" want to "control distribution of   
   >> >information" is arrant nonsense.....   
   >   
   > Ah. "Proof by assertion" it always works for me! And your claim to   
   > authority on this topic is?   
   >   
   >> It's not the "powerful" people that want to control the Internet, it's   
   >> the hackers and their desire for control and access to resources for   
   >> themselves.   
   >   
   > People in government are NOT "powerful people" who do not have an   
   > interest in controlling information and knowing what is going on out   
   > there with their "subjects"? Gimme a break!  Just how stupid are you   
   > people about politics?  Politics is all about POWER and knowledge is   
   > POWER!  Since the rule in politics is "if you get away with it, there   
   > is no crime", then using (controlling) the internet to make sure you   
   > "get away" with whatever scam you are pulling is a given.   
   well, there is a problem with this statement (I will detail below)   
   >   
   > If these "powerful people" were NOT monitoring and controlling the   
   > INTERNET, then they'd be so incompetent that they should not deserve   
   > to rule.  Believe me the people who are in charge of things (from   
   > government to large corporations to media to whatever) are mostly NOT   
   > incompetent!   
      
   sure they are. look at some who have been forced out in recent years (or   
   been charged with crimes and caused economic damages). there is an old saw:   
   people will always be promoted up to the level of their incompetence. its   
   more often true than not.   
      
   now, as for control of the internet. that is not longer possible in any   
   ordinary sort of means. there are those of us who are technologically savvy   
   enough to be able to bypass large chunks of the net with our out   
   technologies and skills. if the backbone providers try to hive us off, we   
   can just start getting together a peer ourselves across. the internet as an   
   infrastructure is just too large for any one small group to control   
   outrighht.   
      
   there are also international considerations here. If ther US of A hives   
   itself off from the net, there is nothing that will prevent the rest of the   
   world from using whats left (which is rather a lot) The Chinese have   
   already tried this and it has failed miserably (read about the failure of   
   the 'greatfirewall of china').   
      
   the point is: there is no absolute control and there will always be a way to   
   get the information you want to where you want it.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)