>> The key word here is "willing". If technology produces convenience at the >> expense of liberty, then the average joe is *willing* to sacrifice a >> little liberty for a little convenience. > the two things are mutually exclusive and not related. Technology, ie human invention, never "reduces liberty". In fact, human invention increaes more quickly in the face of more liberty, and increaees less quickly in the face of less liberty. What might be meant above, more, is "most average joes are willing to sacrifice some LIBERTY for a little more apparent WEALTH" (That's probably true, ie, there are indeed numerous humans that are so spectacularly stupid that they actually vote for higher taxes. However that group of human's belief is certainly not correct -- lowering taxes (ie, increasing liberty) always increases human wealth.) There's no difference between the concepts "level of freedom" and "level of taxes" they are the same thing. Slavery (you are forced to work and do not own your life) is the same as taxation (you are forced to work and do not own your life). The phrase "economic freedom" is identical to "freedom". Here's the bottom line: (1) "liberty" and "taxes" are the same issue .. they are the same thing. (2) human invention is wealth .. they are the same thing. (3) it is observed that, as it happens, with our particular species from this particular planet, more freedom means greater human invention. (It could be that on other planets with other intelligent species, they did NOT discover this, ie, it could be for other intelligent species that socialism works. So, on that planet some guy is writing an email saying "you can talk around, but we have now observed that LESS freedom means MORE human invention. Hayek was wrong and Marx was right." However, that is NOT the case on this planet with this species. It is simply a fact, now settled, that in all cases and all situations without any exceptions at all, more freedom means more human invention.) ----------------------------------------------------------- "Great ventures create great mottos." --- You are currently subscribed to e-gold-list as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]