Re: your mail

[Phil Karn <karn@qualcomm.com>]

I have met a few NSA employees and contractors from time to time, and
they've all generally impressed me as intelligent and reasonable
people who just happen to work for a bad institution -- except Baker.
He *is* that bad institution.

I had the dubious pleasure of meeting Baker in person a year ago
during a CPSR-sponsored conference in DC. I had argued vigorously with
him during a break before I realized that he was NSA's general
counsel; afterwards, I realized that if I didn't have a file with them
before, I certainly would later. :-)

I argued that the bad guys would have strong cryptography no matter
what laws were passed, so we might as well make sure the good guys
could have it too. His retort, repeated quite a few times, was, "So,
your attitude toward the government is "Fuck 'em if they can't take a
joke?" It wasn't exactly a reasoned, logical debate.

One of the most arrogant people I've ever met. He would have been
right at home in the old Nixon White House.

But then again, I keep remembering the rule: don't get mad, get even.
Write code...

Phil