[extropy-chat] Freedom and Practicality

[Eugen Leitl]

On Mon, May 29, 2006 at 09:03:17AM -0700, Lee Corbin wrote:

> Yes, perhaps one-third (!) of one's earnings are appropriated
> by the government.

It depends on where, multiple taxation makes it more a half
than a third (in some areas, probably approaching 2/3).
 
> It was an honest question; I wasn't trying to make a rhetorical
> point. I should have asked how fearful are you of your government
> as opposed to terrorists?  As I said before, where I live I'm

Terrorists don't exist as far as I'm concerned. I'm reasonably
critical and distrustful towards my local government.

> about equally  intimidated by the police and by thieves/murderers,
> (including terrorists) and that's comfortably the way it should be.

I don't know where exactly you're located, but at least for
me the ratio is more 95:5.
 
> But as the ease with which one person can kill thousands or
> later millions of others, safeguards will be taken, either
> before a frightening incident or after. I myself, just don't

Surveillance is an active approach. A passive approach that
is far more robust and has less side effects is: disperse.
Dilute your targets. Minimize material transport between
targets. With advanced nanoware: compartmentalize biosphere
with active membranes.

> happen to be especially upset about having every particular
> detail of my life on public display. (I'm a follower of 
> Brin's Transparent Society.)

But the powerful figures are not, and this is why brinworld
is an asymmetry enabler, not an equalizer. If you're pushing
Brin now as something workable, you're helping the enemy.

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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