Re: Brin on privacy

Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Fri, 20 Dec 1996 19:15:40 -0500


James Rogers wrote:
>
> d.brin wrote:
> >Over the course of time, without
> >Singaporean lashings, people will behave better for one simple reason,

Hearing how open scandinavian cultures seem to be, while european
continental cultures have a greater measure of privacy, arabs, japanese
and indians thrive on secrecy, and russians are still psychotically
paranoid 1000 years after the mongols ruled, I would say that in some
way, the local cultural history has a great impact on the degree to
which individuals equate privacy with freedom. We in the US are living
in the 70th year of anti communist paranoia, as well as 30 years of
countercultural and right wing backlash against Federal interference in
local government/individual rights. Switzerland, being highly free and
highly private probably is so due to its central location among formerly
imperialist nations.

How much ones government has historically used individual openness to
repress individual freedoms would have a direct impact on an individuals
perception of privacy as essential to freedom.

-- 
TANSTAAFL!!!

Michael Lorrey --------------------------------------------------------- President retroman@tpk.net Northstar Technologies Agent Lorrey@ThePentagon.com Inventor of the Lorrey Drive Silo_1013@ThePentagon.com http://www.tpk.net/~retroman/ --------------------------------------------------------- Inventor, Webmaster, Ski Guide, Entrepreneur, Artist, Outdoorsman, Libertarian, Certified Genius.