East Europ{ean view on Clipper

[an65939@anon.penet.fi]

	The widespread discussion of the Clipper Chip in both US
media and relevant discussion lists is limited mostly to American
people. Therefore, I wish to add my small opinion from behind the
former Iron Curtain based upon my lifetime experience of living in
Poland. The discussion is very interesting for me because in a few
years' time when we will be more technologically developed (and have
bigger GDP so that secret services may flourish) it may repeat itself
in my country. I was inspired by the contribution of prof. D. Denning
whom I appreciate for outstanding book about cryptography and data
security.
	For years we lived here with the overwhelming impression of
being under constant surveillance by omnipotent secret services
maintained by undemocratic regime supported by Moscow. For instance
people were afraid not to take part in then sham elections. Those
elections were openly unequal - their results were obvious for
everyone before the results - but were hyped in the media as an act of
support for the government. The widespread belief was that if one did
not participate he will be denied some "privilege" for example
passport and exit visa to the West on the next request. The same
applied to not taking part in 1st May official parades which were said
to be voluntary. The regime was also afraid of every way of people's
informal associating. Participants in unofficial gatherings were
photographed and videotaped with the hope of identifying them.
Telephone was always considered insecure and all international calls
were "for sure" supposed  to be wiretapped. As the published files of
East Germany's STASI showed these fears were not groundless. From the
four years' distance then polish secret service does not seem to had
been so strong but its files WERE NOT revealed and the overall
impression remains obscure.
	For years the society had a highly positive attitude towards
West and particularly American people despite officially publicized
love for Russian liberators. Unfortunately the knowledge of the West
was very, very incomplete. 	Not surprisingly when the communism
collapsed in 1989 the society wanted to integrate quickly with the
West hopeful to reach their level of freedom and prosperity soon. And
to their surprise the West did not fulfil their expectations either
because they were false or because at the same time some of Western
ideals had proven unrealistic and were to be abolished. And we learned
that the Swedish model of caring state is economically infeasible in
the long run, that new gospel should be promulgated to change the fast
way of western life, that the World had just entered into global
recession so everybody is afraid of newly emerged poor democracies,
that our model USA is indeed (as described by former pro Moscow
propaganda) a ruthless oppressor for some disobedient nations.
	At the same time we entered the Cyberspace. It was really a
unique experience to have the freedom of sending out (to the West)
everything one wishes just after the period of total censorship.
Recent developments in cryptography and the work of Cypherpunks have
created perhaps for the first time in mankind's history the
opportunity to create global communities that evade government's
surveillance. It seemed that an omnipotent repressive regimes may one
day become hardly possible at all. And now we learn that such a
privilege cannot be extended to voice communication. I am afraid that
similar regulations will apply to communication over future high
throughput electronic highways and that the present loose regulations
concerning Internet are the result of first incredible speed of the
development of this medium (the democratically elected regimes didn't
catch up) and second the smaller (for the time being) popularity of
email communication when compared to for instance fax and phone.
	And now conclusions. Despite the gloomy picture I have just
presented I am on the whole an optimist. Properties of mathematics
behind cryptography are part of the nature itself and like the
software cannot be destroyed by human regulations. The governments may
slower the outburst of universal privacy but will not evade it. In the
Clipper's case I agree with the conclusion of "Newsweek" from 14 Feb.
'94 which suggests that the US users will use foreign made devices and
foreigners will be reluctant to use US made ones that can be
wiretapped. As the fall of Berlin Wall showed the regulations that do
not have popular support will one day collapse.
	Thank you for taking time to read my private opinions and
please excuse me poor language (I am not native) and contents (I am
very technical).

			Doodeck
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