Re: Cast of Characters for Crypto Politics (Judiciary Hearing)

[Tim May <tcmay@got.net>]

At 8:06 PM -0700 7/9/97, Declan McCullagh wrote:

>Here's a cast of characters from today's hearing...

Except maybe for Ashcroft--and it may be too soon to tell about him--the
rest have just shown their expected colors. I say we just hang them all and
be done with it.

...
>SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D): The Senate's supposed defender
>of crypto-freedom was at best a milquetoast one today.
...

Many of us warned long ago that Leahy was no friend of liberty, despite his
soothing comments at the SAFE forum last summer. His support of other
statist policies makes him just another fool on the Hill.

...
>SEN. BOB KERREY (D): Perhaps gaining confidence in his
>political backing, Sen. Bob Kerrey spoke at length
>about the dangers of uncontrolled *domestic* use of
>crypto. "The current law is unacceptable. The status
>quo is unacceptable," he said. At one point he talked
>about scrapping any legislative changes to export
>rules -- and focusing instead just on domestic crypto
>and domestic key escrow.

A law to ban domestic use of strong crypto is coming. All it will take is
some horrific incident--another bombing in a building, another Dahmer case,
etc., where crypto is involved in any way. This will be the catalyst for
the outlawing of unapproved crypto.

The Supreme Court may or may not then overturn such a ban. (To most of us,
of course, the free speech issues are crystal clear: no law may dictate the
form of speech, especially when no issues of "interstate commerce" or
"obscenity" are anywhere in sight. To make felons out of those who write in
code in their electronic journals is something even Orwell seems to have
missed. Though in Orwell's case I suppose it was because the keeping of
journals was itself a crime, one Winston was able to hide due to the layout
of his room. One wonders when Kerrey, Clinton, and McCain will think of
banning journals except when copies are deposited weekly at the Diary
Recovery Agency.)

...
>SEN. JOHN KYL (R): Criticized Kerrey for being too
>moderate. "My own view is that the legislation does
>not go far enough," Sen. Kyl said of the McCain-Kerrey
...

The competition to outdo the others is beginning, signalling the usual
stampede toward the passage of a bill.

>SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D): Said "I would echo Sen.
>Kyl's concerns." Noted she represented a high-tech
...

Always the lug nut.

They all deserve what they get.


--Tim May

There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!"
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269     | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."