Viet Nam Considered Less Harmful than Cambodia

(Welcome back, David...I haven't seen you post in a long while)

At 6:44 AM 8/1/96, David K. Merriman wrote:

>Were a government - duly elected - to come into power similar to that in
>30's Germany or 70's Viet Nam, so that intellectuals or the educated
>became the targets of oppression, would she be as adamant about the
>perceived "rights" of Government to intrude in her private life, monitor
>her communications, and so on?

Though I am no defender of the People's Benovolent and Democratic
Government of Viet Nam, I think you must be thinking of Cambodia.

It was Cambodia, in the form of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, which decided
to exterminate all educated persons (except themselves, of course). Those
wearing eyeglasses were considered Enemies of the People, because
presumably they knew how to read.

Compared to Cambodia, Viet Nam was a paradise. In fact, I cheered in '79
when Viet Nam invaded Cambodia.

--Tim May, who wonders if anyone with access to the Net will become part of
the mountains of skulls in Pax Americana

Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software!
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Licensed Ontologist         | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

On Thu, 1 Aug 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:

> --Tim May, who wonders if anyone with access to the Net will become part of
> the mountains of skulls in Pax Americana

I once gave an account on my workstation to a Jesuit priest who was later
assassinated in El Salvador, but it was mostly for access to a few things,
not really "on the net." Does that count?

-rich