Re: fbi, crypto, and defcon

[TQDB <tqdb@daffy.fn.net>]

> Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 17:31:25 -0400
> From: Stephen Cobb <stephen@iu.net>
> To: cypherpunks@feist.com
> Subject: Re: fbi, crypto, and defcon

> Okay, so their boss is part of the law making process, subject to the checks
> and balances that exist between the three branches of US government. They
> are in a position to supply their boss with data and I am personally
> impressed with their grasp of some of that data (it sounds to me like they
> are telling their boss that hackers like the ones at Defcon are not the
> problem).

    I think what they are really saying is that they would love to
bust most hackers, but since they can't they might as well use some of
them to catch the bigger fish.  If they truly did believe in the laws they
are supposed to uphold they wouldn't associate with hackers (who commit
computer crimes) at all.

> All of us who have some understanding of these issues need to do our best to
> educate the public and the politicians, even if we have to start from the
> "See Jane hack" level (pun intended). Otherwise dumb laws will be passed and
> then we will have to engage in mass civil disobedience (which I have
> personally done in the past). Stopping bad laws from becoming law is a lot
> easier than overturning them later.

    This is exactly one good reason for having additional support for our
Hack The Lies (HTL) project.  Besides spreading truthful and factual
information to the public, we recognize that the government definately
could use its share of help from people who know what they are talking
about.
.TQDB