Re: Weasels vs. transparancy / traffic cameras

From: Michael S. Lorrey (mike@datamann.com)
Date: Mon May 22 2000 - 10:36:18 MDT


Lee Daniel Crocker wrote:

> >>> Suicide rate is higher in societies with greater surveillance
> >>> and repression, but what about societies with greater surveillance
> >>> and *less* repression?
>
> >> no such animal.
>
> > From the descriptions of the Brits on the list, sounds like the
> > UK might qualify.
> > -Zero
>
> The UK doesn't qualify as a free country at all anymore given
> their recent total abandonment of free speech rights. I'm sure
> there are former Soviet republics now where you are more likely
> to be free to publish without fear of censorship.

Based on a reading of the current Constitution of Lithuania, and not knowing how
well it is put into practice, I would say on a preliminary basis that you are
right Lee. On the converse, the prevalence of the lovrushniki and chornye
smorodini throughout the former republics, and the degree to which these
gangsters are utterly merciless and predatory, while at the same time the police
seem to be for sale to the highest bidder, bodes ill for the future there.

On an odd note, I've been hearing for some time people talking about how Somalia
has evolved into a great little libertarian economy... beleive it or not. I
don't know enough to say.

The Seychelles Archipelago is also an area I would say is still quite free,
there are many island nations you can go to where this is the case.



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