Re: A cypherpunk push-poll ? (Was Re: Dorothy and the four Horseman)

[Robert Hettinga <rah@shipwright.com>]

At 7:07 am -0500 on 3/23/97, Timothy C. May wrote:

> I'd bet that generating such a counter-poll would be a waste of time. The
> Denning poll has already been distributed by the Infowar crowd; it is
> unlikely in the extreme that Schwartau and his crowd would have any
> interest in minimizing the dangers.
>
> Sort of like trying to counter Pat Robertson's "poll" on "The 700 Club"
> with a counter-poll...what's the point?
>
> Besides, crypto _will_ be used for "crimes." This is, after all, our intent.

As always, Tim is right.

I actually didn't see this as something "we" should actually "do". I saw
this more as a humorous exercise for list's entertainment.

For instance, here's an example of a question that Dorothy and Winn
*should* have asked:

"In your extensive use of the internet in your professional capacity as the
CIO of a Fortune 50 corporation, have you encountered the use of
cryptography in acts of genocide?

Ecologic holocaust?

Thermonuclear terrorism?

The use of asteroid impact to destroy all life on earth as we know it?"


Or, as an example of some questions for the Official Cypherpunks
Cryptography Push-Poll:

"Have you ever seen or heard of a government which used deliberately
weakened cryptography in it's own operations?"

"Do you believe that a government which knows *everything* about you can be
trusted with that information?"

"Do you believe that the U.S. Constitution was written to control the
behavior of government, or that of private citizens? Why do you think this
is the case?"


;-)

Cheers,
Bob Hettinga


-----------------
Robert Hettinga (rah@shipwright.com), Philodox
e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"Never attribute to conspiracy what can be
explained by stupidity." -- Jerry Pournelle
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