Bureaucractic Slime Factor (Was: NSA response to key length report)

[Ernest Hua <hua@xenon.chromatic.com>]

> What I find most disturbing about this is that their report was
> provided secretly to policymakers in the administration and in
> Congress, without independent technical review that would have
> quickly exposed the fallacy of the arguments.  I never would have
> seen it had several of the recipients not faxed it to me.  This is

Yes.  This is the bureaucratic slime factor.  It pissed me off when
Freeh lobbied behind the scenes for Digital Telephony.  It pissed me
off when government officials use effectively hidden channels
precisely because they know they cannot get away with it in the full
light of public scrutiny.

Another way B.S.F. shows up is exemplified by gross mistatements
like Gore's recent "emerging consensus" claim.  It's the old "it's
technically true but we know damn well we are effectively lying to
the public" trick.

I am actually kind of surprised that there are some on this list
who might have considered giving Gore the benefit of the doubt.

Ern