Re: Cypherpunk Cause

[A1 ray arachelian (library) <rarachel@ishara.poly.edu>]

Yes, I believe there is a cause: the freedom to use crypto tools to protect
our conversations with others, be they text, voice, video, or even our 
conversations between our terminals/machines with other machines, and most
importantly our conversations with data storage devices.  Ie: an encrypted
diary, database, an encrypted method of distributing licensed software (a la
the Aldus On Call font CD, or whatever company it came from, etc.)

The method to have this cause succede is partially to have the good folks of
the land realize that "Honest folk don't have anything to hide" is in a great
conflict with "Locks and gates keep people honest."  If honest people don't
have anything to hide or protect, they may as well open all their doors and
windows, and put it "Rob me" signs on their lawns.

I by all means feel that the government should be able to do its job, and
especially the law enforcement branches, >WITHOUT< violating any of a person's
rights by snooping through their files.  Cries about child porno and other
assorted crap (drug dealers included) are just the price we have to pay to
have privacy.  As cypherpunks (and you guys know I've not really participated
in too much other than just throwing in my two cents here and there) we know
that outlawing crypto won't make it vanish.  Rather it will only put it in
the hands of the criminals and prevent everyone else from having it.  Hell
I can forsee making a lot of money if crypto is illegal by simply selling
copies of PGP and other packages for thousands to drug dealers.

It's not exactly a too far fetched idea.  The bigger issue is that the gubment
flunkies are also aware of this.  They're just using it as an excuse to be able
to spy on the public.  Hell I remember one of my professors (Computer Ethics)
stating that at one point Uncle Sam appointed a brain tank to see if it were
possible to spy on the private individuals at will whenever they wished.

The unsurprising answer to this is that the system is already in place.
Credit card info, anything passing through the post office, anything leaving
your house via the garbage route, telephones, etc. can be used.  Most of it
is easy to get without direct spying.  Any creditor will tell you "yes." So
is it any surprise to possibly imagine Uncle Sam having the ability to use
these readily availabe channels of information?

Now I'm not saying the government is corrut.  I don't need to.  It has done
a good job at that all by itself, and hell, it's the business of politics to
have a fringe of impurity, if not a downright streak straight through its
core.  The most accepted form of this is "No new taxes" spewed by the very
people who later raise taxes.

Is it surprising to understand that one of the principal reasons that the
thirteen colonies rebelled and broke off from mother England was taxes?  Of 
course no one in his right mind would think of revolt.  There's no need to.
Just vote.  But the trouble is once they're in office, there's nothing to
make sure they make good on their promisses.  It would be great to have
a bi-monthly way of electing them out of office if they're not performing,
or living up to their promises.

Hey being stuck for even a year with a person who has claimed to do everything
under the sun for you is the same as buying a sugar coated drug, only to find
that it not only doesn't heal what it said it would, but causes cancer, 
brain damage, and other unmentioned side effects.

Perhaps it is time we create something like the FDA for politicians?  Label
them as containing the intent to do as they say?  And put some teeth into
being able to sue them if they don't deliver.  Perhaps even making a rule that
any elected offical is bound by his word as if it were a signed contract?

Gee, is there a single senator or house representative out there that would
vote for such a bill?

But hey, if there was, it would be easy to remove those who want abortion
to be illegal, or strong crypto, etc.