Re: Republican and Democratic party platforms on technology

[tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)]

At 9:59 PM 8/21/96, Declan McCullagh wrote:

>While the Republicans certainly are no fast friends of online liberties --
>recall Dole cosponsored an "anti-cyberporn" bill worse than the CDA --
>they've been moving in the right direction on crypto. This plank shows that
>as a party, they're starting to take online privacy seriously.

I think we all know just how long such a taking online privacy seriously
committment would last...about two or three briefings from the FBI, CIA,
NSA, and DIA. Maybe Dole would get the infamous "If you only knew what we
know" briefing, maybe he already has had it (and is just cynically
supporting "online privacy" because it's a way to contrast himself with
Clinton).

Sure, the rhetoric might be slightly different under a Dole presidency. The
focus would be on "halting the spread of abortion information on the Net"
and "plotting by Communists using unbreakable cryptography."

>(Contrast both parties with the Libertarians, which have a sterling
>commitment to online civil liberties, reflected in the platform approved at
>their convention last month.)

I certainly plan to vote for Harry Browne, their candidate, even if voting
only encourages the process.

I first read Browne's stuff back in 1973, and, a few years later, his
wonderful and "Zen Calvinist" (my term) book, "How I Found Freedom in an
Unfree World," which I still recommend to people. As far as I'm concerned,
Browne is the strongest candidate ever fielded by the Libertarian Party.

Not that it will matter. Ralph Nader will probably get more votes than Browne.

The answer lies in technology, not the ballot box.

--Tim May


--
[This Bible excerpt awaiting review under the U.S. Communications Decency
Act of 1996]
And then Lot said, "I have some mighty fine young virgin daughters. Why
don't you boys just come on in and fuck them right here in my house - I'll
just watch!"....Later, up in the mountains, the younger daughter said:
"Dad's getting old. I say we should fuck him before he's too old to fuck."
So the two daughters got him drunk and screwed him all that night. Sure
enough, Dad got them pregnant, and had an incestuous bastard son....Onan
really hated the idea of doing his brother's wife and getting her pregnant
while his brother got all the credit, so he pulled out before he
came....Remember, it's not a good idea to have sex with your sister, your
brother, your parents, your pet dog, or the farm animals, unless of course
God tells you to. [excerpts from the Old Testament, Modern Vernacular
Translation, TCM, 1996]