Re: (Fnord) Edupage, 10 September 1996

[jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>]

>------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
>************************************************************
>Edupage, 10 September 1996.  Edupage, a summary of news about information
>technology, is provided three times a week as a service by Educom,
>a Washington, D.C.-based consortium of leading colleges and universities
>seeking to transform education through the use of information technology.
>************************************************************
>
>TOP STORIES
>        Wired World Will "Diminish National Sovereignty"
>[..]
>WIRED WORLD WILL "DIMINISH NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY"
>A leading Clinton Administration official on information security and
>cryptography matters says that traditional notions of sovereignty, national
>security and warfare will be undermined by the year 2020, when the whole
>world is "wired" and e-cash is the norm.

24 years from now?  He thinks it'll take that long?!?   24 years _ago_  the 
4004 microprocessor barely existed.  And if anything, change is accelerating 
very rapidly.

>The result will be less powerful
>governments in relation to criminal organizations such as the Mafia and
>international drug cartels,

Organizations which exist only because of the existence of government...


>says Michael Nelson, who adds that organized
>crime members are already some of the most sophisticated users of computer
>systems and strong encryption technology.  In addition, computer crackers
>will pose a more significant threat.  In response, Nelson advocates
>resolving the issue of whether unauthorized access of a computer is an "act
>of trespass" or an "act of war," and prosecuting the intrusions accordingly.
>(BNA Daily Report for Executives 6 Sep 96 A14)

I'd sure like to be able to corner this guy and point out that there are 
people who believe that _regulating_ the Internet should either be 
considered an "act of trespass" or an "act of war."  And does he want to be 
punished, or merely stopped?

Jim Bell
jimbell@pacifier.com