$10,000,000 for community networks in Texas!

[Doug Schuler]

Just a quick reply to Kurt's note.  I realize that Kurt feels very
strongly about his anarchism -- that there should be no government,
etc.  That everything they ever do or ever would do is evil.
Unfortunately I feel that this attitude is counter productive.
Although I can probably construct a list as long as Kurt's about
government misdeeds I question the wisdom of his splendid isolation.

I believe that a democratic government (imperfect to say the least!) is
the best chance that we have and we have to keep engaged with it if we
have any chance for success.  The big corporations certainly don't let
any ideological purity prevent them from engaging with the government.
(Would you like to hear NPR or another commercial station?)

I honestly do believe that access to information and communication
(like the Internet) is heavily skewed in favor of the rich and the
white, etc. and that projects like SCN (however imperfect it may be!)
will be part of any solution, if a solution is found.

I can't imagine that there would be any great progress made towards
providing more and better access to low-income and marginalized
communities without some government involvement.  I agree 
that working with government involves some risk, but is anything
risk-freee?!?

So, Kurt, I WOULD like to bring somebody up from Texas -- *not* on
their dime, to talk about their work with community network funding
in Texas.

-- Doug

> Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1999 11:56:49 -0700
> From: Kurt Cockrum <kurt at grogatch.seaslug.org>
> To: scn at scn.org
> Subject: Re: $10,000,000 for community networks in Texas!
> 
> Doug said:
> >BIG things going on in Texas!!  I'd like to bring Gene up here
> >to talk to us at SCN about working with the state legislature.
> 
> On his own dime, I hope.
> I wish I could bring Timothy McVeigh^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H
> (sorry, slip-of-the-keyboard) Molly Ivins up here to talk to us
> about working with the state legislature!  I'll bet she would
> have some interesting things to say.
> 
> >Texas is spending more on public infrastructure than the US
>                            ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >government TIIAP program!
> 
> Well, to be honest, I didn't think the Panopticon-on-the-Prairie *had*
> any infrastructure that wasn't part of the correctional or railroad
> establishments, or to enforce things like food-disparagement laws.
> Could I be wrong? (perish the thought! :)
> 
> The idea really gives me the creeps!  They aren't spending that money
> because they believe in free speech, that's for sure!  Control, power,
> money, that makes a lot more sense.  But it also makes sense here, too,
> in the much more benevolent land-of-the-latte.  If SCN ever gets some
> government subsidy money, I would consider that the beginning of the
> downward slide into NPR-dom.
> 
> You are all following the Pacifica implosion (just as an example of
> a *much* *more* *widespread* phenomenon that includes NPR as well)?
> I. e. consolidation, homogenization, bland-down, professionalization,
> displacement of local talent by piped-in stuff, wholesale firings of
> volunteers and workers who question the status quo, censorship, strikes,
> lockouts, runaway BOD's, the whole 9 yards.  And this from a bunch of
> cute little bunny-rabbit Clintonoid liberals and their foundation pals!
> This gives serious meaning to the term "devil-bunny" :)
> 
> Just remember, "he who has the gold makes the rules".  The obvious
> corollary is "he who takes the gold agrees to abide by the rules".
> Or to put it another way, once you take a handout, you are *property*,
> to be disposed of as the owner sees fit, even if you can still walk and
> talk and proclaim your freedom and autonomy.  If you *don't* take the
> gold, you are still poor, but then if you proclaimed your freedom and
> autonomy, you wouldn't be lying.
> 
> I hope and pray that we have the bravery and prudence to steer clear of
> any so-called "public/private partnerships".  But money is a *powerful*
> drug.  It's *way* easier to stop smoking tobacco than it is to tighten
> one's belt after having once had a money-fix.
> 
> Turning grassroots into astroturf is easy, but it's a one-way trip.
> Don't go down that road.
> 
> Beware of the Friendly Stranger!
> --kurt
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