I am the author of "The Democratic Cannibals" and my website is The Ragged Trousered Philosopher
I know I have a few Swedish fans because I occasionally notice I'm getting visited by members of Swedish forums discussing my "Conversation with God".
This is not a perverse attempt at self publicity. It's just that if you read any of my shit, it should be bleedin obvious that I'm on your side.
My concern is spelt out in the summary. Your success is actually a threat. At this point in time, they are still much stronger than we are and, more pertinently, much more aggressive and violent than we either are or would ever want to be.
It is a matter of some concern, for example, that Sweden is about the only place you can get away with this level of opposition to the current meme. We need this technology to be used in every country on the planet, but every other country is able to point to - what they call - the obvious "abuse" of this liberty by those commie Swedes - and use your example as ongoing justification for draconian restrictions within their own borders.
I fear that unless clones of you appear, by the thousand, in at least dozens of other countries, you may be crushed out of existence like we're seeing with Freetown Christiana and, in the process, allow them to seize control of the p2p environment (for example with compulsory key escrow). We should, in my view, avoid provoking them to that stage because it will be very difficult to regain control from that position.
What that means, in practice, I don't pretend to know. It's only since watching "Steal" an hour ago, that you've provoked me into thinking about the problem. I think my immediate aim is to get you and others thinking about the problem.
I can see partial answers. For example, in answering the question most important for the capitalists - how can we make money within this model? - you have actually demonstrated one of the obvious means; the request for voluntary donations.
After Matrix I, for example, I would have gladly donated $5 or $10 towards the making of Matrix II. Although, having been disappointed with Matrix II I wouldn't have donated to III - but hey, that's market forces for you.
Essentially all their potential customers can, instead, become "social investors". I have no problem, for example, if so many people fund the making of your sequel that you end up making a huge profit on the deal. I'm pretty damn sure that you'll fund parts 3, 4, 5 etc and they'll get bigger and better as we go. If you end up driving fast hifis and luxury villas into the bargain, good luck to you. We'll happily reward your excellence. Just keep the good shit coming our way.
I'm also aware that the obvious counter-argument to my pessimism is that you are also setting a magnificent example which might inspire the revolution in much more positive ways than early marxist revolutionaries could ever have imagined. It's up to networks in other nations to fight their own battles and thus contribute to winning the war.
All I know for certain, at the moment, is that we can't afford complacency. We need to think about what we are doing and how best to get there from here…
I do have to close with one "off topic" question. How is that you guys can attract so much national support for your overtly libertarian activities in respect of filesharing while the Swedes in general are so hostile to another libertarian issue close to my heart - the consumption of Cannabis? Seems to be a very selective attitude to liberty.
