Re: May's Banal Rant

[Lucky Green <shamrock@netcom.com>]

At 12:31 AM 6/2/97 -0400, Marc Rotenberg wrote:
>Great plan. I'll watch TV and let Congress pass a bill
>requiring mandatory identification for Internet users.
>Really clever.

First of all, such a bill will be passed regardless of what you or anyone
else does. The only question is when. You may be able to delay passing of
this bill for a few years, perhaps even a few decades, but pass it will.

So let us turn to the more relevant question: is it better for such bill to
pass now or ten years from now? It may seem obvious that the answer is "ten
years from now", but I feel that it not nearly as obvious as it seems and
in fact may even not be correct.

Ten years and a few Sarin attacks on American subways and other Reichstag
Fires later, such a bill will pass with the full backing of Joe Sixpack and
Jill Soccer Mom. The passing will be a formality.

If, however, Congress was to pass such a bill now or in the very near
future, the population would recognize the law for what it is: yet another
fascist powergrab. Which in turn might trigger the exercise of certain
recall provisions available to the citizens of the US thanks to the Bill of
Right.

It is up to each of us to decide which of these two possible futures is
"better".


--Lucky Green <shamrock@netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred.

  Put a stake through the heart of DES! Join the quest at
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