excellent reading via tinytalk: "the american republic is dead. hail the american empire. or else." by john perry barlow.

"the internet, has, as expected, provided a global podium to everyone with an opinion. cyberspace has become an infinite set of street corners, each with its lonely pamphleteer, howling his rage to a multitude all too busy howling their own to listen.

all of our energy goes into things like this barlowspam, energies that might be better spent in creating traditional blocs like the nra, or the aarp, or some large group capable of either buying congress or scaring the shit out of them. this screed won't scare an elected official anywhere. and it wouldn't generate enough money to elect or defeat a dogcatcher.

as much as i loathe organizations, we need to organize."