IBM Contra Beltway

[John Young <jya@pipeline.com>]

Duncan or others may give a more elegant report on the Clipper debate here
in NYC last night. 
 
 
My pleasant surprise was to see the IBM rep, William Whitehurst, far
outpace the inside the beltway types, EFF's Daniel Weitzer, the White
House's Michael Nelson, FBI's Kallstrom and ex-NSA Stewart Baker, as well
as the local urbane handsome attorney-mathematician moderator, Albert
Wells, who baby-talked the suits through the arcana. 
 
 
Mr. Whitehurst showed more intelligence about crypto -- domestically,
politically, economically and politically -- than any of the others.  No
flash, no preening, just hard-nosed reports on what's happening, and what's
not, due to USG cupidity, with the international spread of the heinous
munition.  He said industry is impatiently waiting for the USG to cooperate
or get the fuck out of the way.  Well, not quite, but close. 
 
 
The others seemed entranced by the domestic political morass. 
 
 
Kallstrom recited the oft-riden horse-threats, some miscreant clapped, and
he said, "child pornographer".  All laughed or winced or stared in
pin-stripped disbelief at the disrespect shown. 
 
 
Mr. Weitzer recited that the crypto genie is out of the bottle.  Kallstrom
said over my dead body or something like that, glowering at the crowd. 
 
 
The dapper man in front of me pulled up his sock to show his ankle holster.
 Protecting the nation's chief protector against high-criminals.  I ran out
before getting plugged "accidently".