nsa digital cash?

[tmp@netcom.com]

ok, so the nsa looked at commercial cryptography and said, `we need to control 
it'.  and out pops clipper (quite an ugly baby, eh?)

this makes me wonder. i bet that they see that announcement by visa for 
`digital cash' and go crazy. they are already thinking of how to put clipper 
into a nationwide digital cash system, don't you think?

this brings up some serious issues. i doubt it will be long before there
are some official government agencies developing the official u.s.
digital cash system. in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if there are 
divisions in the nsa dedicated to doing it *this moment*. 

if there are any non-nsa agencies, too, the nsa will probably `pull an nist'
and dominate their development. how? send in a few austere-looking
spooks and speak in phrases like `imperative to national security'
and `presidential directive' and *boom* the flimsy bureacrats are
putty in their hands.

so would anyone like to wager? i'd say that we have an official government
group dedicated to digital cash standards in say, 4 years, with an 
official agency in say, 7 years. cpunks, are you going to be ready
by then with your own cash? <g>

btw, could someone tell me how the proposed visa cash system is different than 
debit cards (which exists today)?