ITAR / S 1726 / Civil Disobedience

[Cypherpunks <cypherpunks@toad.com>]

Dear Mr. President,

   I am writing to express my disapproval of the Clinton Administration's
position on the ITAR restrictions for encryption software.  This is an
important issue to me.

  1) Software is writing, so it is protected by the first amendment, 
     so the ITAR is unconstitutional.  The idea that only paper books
     are first amendment protected, and electronic books are not, is just 
     plain wrong.

  2) The ITAR does not help National Security, but in fact greatly reduces 
     our nations security because the Internet, and the computers and 
     information connected to it, are kept from using good Encryption.  

  3) I feel that encryption is very important for doing commerce on the 
     Internet, and that commerce on the Internet is important for our 
     economy (Internet is the fastest growing sizable segment).  You say 
     you like the "Information Super Highway" and you are "going to focus 
     on the economy like a laser".  You should be removing the ITAR 
     restrictions on American businesses.  Otherwise the business for 
     commerce software will go to companies in other countries.

  4) The Clinton Clipper III proposal to have government key escrow 
     is not acceptable.  Also, it will never work, since people will 
     always be able to buy and use software from the rest of the world.  
     This proposal is just slowing down Internet progress.  Please
     cancel Clipper III.

  4) I really don't want to vote for a president who would continue this
     type of regulation of the Internet.  The Republican candidate
     Bob Dole and the Libertarian candidate Harry Browne support 
     Senator Burns Pro-CODE bill S 1726 that would end this foolishness.  

     The current law, (see http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/22/2778.html),
     says that "The President shall periodically review the items on 
     the United States Munitions List to determine what items, if any, 
     no longer warrant export controls under this section.  The results 
     of such reviews shall be reported to the Speaker of the House [...] 
     at least 30 days before any item is removed from the Munitions 
     List [...]."  

     It seems either of your two rivals would, if president, end the
     control of software.  Will we have to elect one of them president 
     to remove software from the Munitions list?

  5) As an act of civil disobedience I have personally exported an 
     encryption program (it is 3 lines of writing) using the web page at 
     http://online.offshore.com.ai/arms-trafficker/

Yours sincerely,


     Cypherpunks
     cypherpunks@toad.com

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