From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Wed Dec 20 2000 - 11:32:58 MST
From: Chris Russo <extropy@russo.org>
>>At 07:09 -0800 12/20/00, Brian D Williams wrote:
>>So since we're the only ones discussing this, and neither of us
>>is going to listen to the other, I'm dropping this, confidant a
>>future web search by anybody interested will point them to vital
>>evidence.
>Due to a family medical emergency, I had to drop out of the
>discussion, but I've been following the thread. I read with
>appreciation the information, provided by both you and Harvey, on
>Al Gore's role in the popularization of the Internet. I've been
>on the Internet since the late 80's, but I wasn't very concerned
>with the politics of it, since I was too busy playing the early
>MUDs and stuff. :)
Glad your back, I hope everyone is okay.
>Despite my dislike of Al Gore, I think it's fair to say that Al
>Gore was ahead of the curve in the congress regarding the
>Internet. I think that he at least raised the consciousness of
>normally technophobic senators on this issue, and he should get
>credit for that.
Agreed.
>My problem, however, is with what he actually said: "During my
>service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in
>creating the Internet."
Agreed.
>He could have said lots of things:
>- I took the initiative to ease restrictions on access to what
>would eventually become the Internet.
>- In the Senate, I championed bringing the technology of the
>Internet to the general public.
>- I pushed legislation through congress that helped change the
>Internet from something that was a little-known tool for
>scientists and academics into the publicly accessible
>technological achievement of our generation.
You should have been on his team. ;)
>.... but he didn't. Instead, Al Gore - a professional politician
>who has spent his whole career expressing himself to the public -
>chose to take almost complete credit for the creation of the
>Internet.
I have considerable problems with his inability to accurately state
the truth.
>Yes, I know that Republicans exaggerate what he said by
>misquoting, "I invented the Internet." Yes, I know that Democrats
>are right in saying that there was some truth in what he said.
>Some truth, however, doesn't really cut it. There was also "some
>truth" in statements from him and his mentor:
>"I did not have sex with that woman"
>"I drank lots of tea and was in the bathroom a lot"
>"We just want to make sure that every vote is counted"
>The parts of those statements, and what they imply, that aren't
>truth are what concern me.
Agreed again.
>"If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in
>thought or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which
>never yet hurt anybody. It is only persistence in self-delusion
>and ignorance which does harm."
> -- Marcus Aurelius, MEDITATIONS, VI, 21
I have MEDITATIONS as text files and read them often, I'm also a
big fan of his former teacher Epictetus.
"A man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he
who reads them." ----Thomas Jefferson
Brian
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