🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov16.225122.2607@cactus.org> ritter@cactus.org (Terry Ritter) writes:
> Conclusion:  Strong cryptography as a social issue is indeed a
> modern situation.
>>Why should this suddenly be a problem?
>                 ^^^^^^^^
> See above.
	This reminds me of the copyright issue with xerox machines.
	I recall a time when I was back in college that it was illegal
	to photocopy copyrighted works.  Everyone did it.   It was unstoppable
	so they changed the law.  When EVERYBODY is a criminal NOBODY is a
	criminal.  The same thing will happen with crypto.  Even the big bad 
	New World Order (TM) couldn't have locked us all up and even that is
	history now.  (Ah, sweet justice! ;-)).

> What I want is for people who are interested in cryptography to
> be prepared to answer a call for legislation, should it occur
> (as I expect that it will).
	Massive disobedience would suffice.

>And it really is impossible to truly
>understand issues without paying the opponents the respect of
>trying to understand their point of view. 
	Try as I might I can't understand David Duke. ;-) I'm sorry Terry
	but this Big Brother is our rightful master stuff is just too
	far off in the weeds.  Not only is key registration evil, it is 
	unenforceable and it doesn't matter how many Quislings try to 
	defend it---those facts won't change.

>I believe there is at least a potential for some serious social
>problems which are a direct consequence of the widespread use of
>serious cryptography.
	Doesn't this argument sound like a luddite argument to you Terry?

> I believe we would be well advised to
> seek out these problems and understand them and propose solutions
> we can live with, as opposed to waiting for the rest of society
> to encounter problems and then impose *their* solutions on us.
	I haven't heard a single argument that worried me about the
	widespread use of cryptography.  Everything that has been mentioned
	so far has been pretty unscary I would say.  There's no future in
	fretting about the future. ;-) Technology has proven pretty unstoppable
	so far.  It has even proven rather hard to stop in countries that have
	a long and bloody history of oppression.  (See the IEEE Spectrum 
	article a couple issues ago that mentioned the impact of electronic 
	mail on the Soviet Coup).  

	I don't know how to get this across to you Terry but the toothpaste
	is very much out of the tube now and there is no way of legislating
	this technology away.  The tools are just too necessary to the smooth
	functioning of the economy.  Even if the government wanted to take 
	away all the tools they couldn't without plunging the economy into
	a tailspin.  George Bush can tell you how important the economy is
	to re-election. ;-)


						smg