NOT JUST CYPHERPUNKS

[Sandy Sandfort <sandfort@crl.com>]

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                         SANDY SANDFORT
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C'punks,

There's a pretty good article about the privacy debate in the
July/August issue of BEYOND COMPUTING.  The article, "Technology
and Government:  The Battle Heats Up," is by Dr. H. Jefferson
Smith.  It appears in the "ethics" section.  Mostly it was a
once-over-lightly, but at least it never mentioned kiddie porn,
narcotraffickers, pedophiles nor terrorists.  It was fairly even
handed in its presentation.

The article ended with these paragraphs:

    . . . On one level, discussions of an individual's
    rights--such as the right to conduct private conversa-
    tions without a threat of government intrusion--are
    pitted against the worthy goal of an efficient and safe
    society.

    On a deeper level, a potentially more perplexing dilemma
    is at play:  Should our government interject itself into
    technological advances to achieve some socially desir-
    able outcome?  And, if so, who should determine which
    outcome should be sought?

Of course, we know the Cypherpunk answers, but at least other
folks are looking at the issues.  Onward and upward.


 S a n d y

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