[10498] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Quotes from Prof Aaron Wildavsky late of UC Berkeley
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David Farber)
Fri Feb 25 14:24:52 1994
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 1994 16:28:19 -0500
To: The future Ross Stapleton-Gray <STAPLETON@bpa.arizona.edu>,
From: farber@central.cis.upenn.edu (David Farber)
>From the Rise of Radical Egalitarianism, ISBN 1-879383-00-4:
"The prevailing sense of dread about American society is a result not of
past failures or insuperable future challanges, but of adopting a
self-defeating standard. Equality of condition is the perfect reproach
becuase it is always lacking in some respect. Americans may not succeed
but, if they do, things are set up so they won't be able to enjoy it"
"It is difficult to enjoy the fabled American trip from rags to riches when
other people are busy making sure that your riches will turn back into
rags. This is a reverse Cindererella syndrone of sorts. It is a product of
generalizing Groucho's law: Anything Amercian can achieve isn't worth
accomplishing. Like all great magic, it is done in broad daylight so no one
notices. The trick is to create contradiction - the achievement and its
negation - at the same time but in different places, or at the same place
but at different times"
Soemhow I think much of this applies to the NII arguments.
Again you might not agree but it may generate thought and ideas.
Dave
