Re: The Right to Keep and Bear Crypto

[Bill Stewart <stewarts@ix.netcom.com>]

At 08:29 PM 10/2/96 -0700, azur@netcom.com (Steve Schear) wrote:
>>T[i]m May wrote:
>>I've argued since 1992 on Usenet and here that "crypto as arms" is a
>>potentially dangerous tack to follow. (Others, including legal experts,
>>have also argued this point.)
>>
>>Given that it is well-established, whether we agree or not, that the USG
>>may restrict private ownership of atom bombs, nerve gases, CBW weapons,
>>machine guns, switchblade knives, nunchuk sticks, and various other "arms,"
>>the association of crypto with armaments is potentially *DISASTROUS*.
>
>Unless we get the strong support of the gun lobby and NRA.

The gun lobby and NRA are generally against handgun registration,
but haven't stopped it.  We're against crypto key registration.
The gun lobby and NRA are generally against machine gun licensing requirements,
but haven't stopped it.  We're against strong crypto licensing requirements.
The gun lobby and NRA are generally against firearms dealers' licensing,
but haven't stopped it.  We're against crypto dealers' licensing.
The gun lobby and NRA are generally against assault weapon import laws,
but haven't stopped them.  We're against strong crypto import laws.
The NRA supports Instant Background Checks (because it thinks they're
less bad than N-Day Waiting Periods).  We're against central government
permitted-users databases, and we're against Key "Escrow" even if some
people think it's less bad than an outright ban.
The NRA supports the politically incorrect hunting enthusiasts.
We (generally) support politically incorrect tax evasion, black markets
in recreational pharmaceuticals, and free speech for people we dislike.

If your lobbyists lose and you have to register your gun, it still works.
If your lobbyists lose and you have to register your crypto keys, you lose;
that means the government or anybody who can get your keys can crack your stuff.
If your lobbyists lose and you have to get permission to make guns,
most of the interesting guns can still be made.  
If your lobbyists lose and you have to get permission to write crypto,
many of the interesting crypto applications won't get written -
we not only depend on the free flow of ideas, but on people doing applications
as a hobby or a small business that can't afford to become
Registered International Arms Dealers, don't want to wait the months
that such registration takes for background checks, and don't want to
give up all the privacy involved just so they can write a bug report
for somebody else's code or suggest an improvement.

Face it, as much as the Gun Lobby has slowed down the growth of anti-gun laws,
they've still lost step by step, law by law, against a government that's
succeeded in scaring the public about threats to public safety and
in convincing the public that only the military needs strong weapons
and that registering everyday-use weapons is just fine.
I support much of what they do, and I'd be happy if they supported us,
and it's probably easier to get their support on crypto than drug rights,
but we can't _depend_ on it.

Also, getting public support for crypto is a hearts-and-minds deal;
the press generally dislikes guns, and generally approves of free speech,
and press support is important - especially since the press's default behaviour
is to believe government press reports about crypto-narco-porno-terrorists
using assault remailers.

#			Thanks;  Bill
# Bill Stewart, +1-415-442-2215 stewarts@ix.netcom.com
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