[47284] in Cypherpunks
FW: Net Control is Thought Control
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (blanc)
Tue Jan 16 02:17:25 1996
From: blanc <blancw@accessone.com>
To: "'cpunks'" <cypherpunks@toad.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 23:19:44 -0800
From: Vladimir Z. Nuri@LD.com
I don't understand your point. both the agent provocateur and "victim"
are crucial to the process of brainwashing. they are the yin and yang
of it all, of course, and I am certainly not arguing otherwise. what
I was pointing out was that it is increasingly difficult to identify
people's secret agenda in cyberspace.=20
........................................................................=
......................
"What distinguishes coercive persuasion from other kinds of influence =
processes is the degree to which the person who is to be influenced is =
physically or psychologically confined to a situation in which he must =
continue to expose himself to unfreezing pressures. Not only did the =
prison confine him physically, but the round-the-clock vigilance and =
pressure from cellmates confined the person psychologically to an =
environment in which unusually intense unfreezing pressures were present =
at all times...." (from the book)
Now, you know that no one either on this list or anywhere in cyberspace =
is confined, either physically or psychologically, to continuously & =
unwillingly expose themselves to alt.usenet.kooks or =
http://www.ho-hum.com or cypherpunks, etc.. If they continue to do so =
it is because they themselves have put themselves there or have not seen =
fit to leave when it behooved them (sometimes requiring the use of kill =
files to avoid them).
A person in an unrestricted setting, who is so easily persuaded by =
others that they cannot resist being influenced, has a lot of work to do =
in finding out about their own lack of self-confidence & direction. A =
"victim of information" must study & discover the difference between =
valid info & dangerous nonsense. There are ways to know when someone is =
trying to supplant one's own initiative with their own preferences. =20
And here's plenty of debate & unrestricted flaming in cyberspace to =
challenge anyone's passive acceptance of another's conclusions (or of =
their own unexamined presumptions). And there's always new software =
tools to enable participants to make a quick exit if they feel =
uncomfortable with a conversation.
=20
"the next time you see a flamewar, ask yourself this question: what =
would
I think if I found out every opinion and post on one side was =
manufactured
by a single person? how can you be so sure they aren't?"
Unless I was thinking of going out to lunch with one of them, I can't =
see why I would care. i.e., unless I needed to make a decision for =
action based on what they had said, it wouldn't really matter to me. I =
expect I would have more effect on them than vice-versa. :>)
..
Blanc
