>Hi Charles,
>
>>I very much like the effect the computer has had on power distribution. Immense power of information and distribution that formerly did not even belong to the most powerful government or corporation. Much as the printing press broke the power of Rome and the Maxim gun changed warfare.
>
>I liked this point about computers/information ;
>Just when they tought 'everything is under control' , k-boom / there comes computers/internet to spoil the 'bride happyness' :)

Yes - the new samisdat . Pretty hard for the big boys to control information.

>>I am not sure from what the government can "protect" us.The most important thing that came out of the English enlightenment was the cynical view of mankind that insisted all power be counterbalanced, rather than insisting "the good" would rule.
>
>If you assume that we live in jungle, then it seem to work much better if you hv more then one gorilla in perimiter; weather it is local country market or world political stage.
>Cold war sounds like 'good old times' comparing to this.
>

But in the Cold War there was the problem that both the US and USSR would use client states to fight their wars. Vietnam, Angola, Nicaragua, Chile, Greece etc. Locals would get their guns by claiming to play for one team or another (usually their agendas were much more local) and the two gorillas would destabilize wherever they could to manipulate the locals into conflict. Not sure it was a good deal for anybody.

And of course there was that thing about at any moment the whole world might blow up <

>>
>>And who protects us from the government? It is not a new question. Juvenal asked "Sed quis custodiet ipsos custdodes?" - But who will watch the watchers?
>
>Jaws [I] ;
>"I think we're gonna need a bigger ship !"
>
>Sherrif is my favourite ultimate looser ;
>as Universe is keep on building bigger and better sharks :)
><vbg>

LOL.