🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Sep4.093534.18590@uwm.edu>, markh@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Mark) writes:
> In article <1992Aug29.214902.27422@cbnewsh.cb.att.com> wcs@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (Bill Stewart 908-949-0705 erebus.att.com!wcs) writes:
>>(Of course, the way the War On Politically Incorrect Drugs is going,
>>privacy-protection software may soon be declared an "Assault Weapon",
>>but that's a rant for alt.conspiracy :-)
> 
> What may or may not be done in this matter is irrelevant.  There is an
> encryption method which will generate English output from any arbitrary clear
> text.  So how would anyone ever know such and such file is an encrypted file?
> 
> Second, I could write a general purpose file utility which has no explicit
> encryption capibility in it, but which can be caused by the user to act like
 [one].
> 
> No law can draw the line.  Therefore no law can exist.

Your faith in logic is touching.  My faith in lawmakers is less so.  Witness
some of the abuses of the going on under present confiscation
laws (re War on Drugs).   Apparently 60 Minutes even set them up by having a 
black man buy a plane ticket with cash (though I do not watch).

Imagine a law which allows for  your computer system and all related materials
-- including the house in which you keep it -- to be summarily confiscated 
unless YOU -- note NOT the gov't -- can PROVE in civil court that you did NOT 
use the encryption software for illegal purposes or that the file you 
encrypted with a binary editor was NOT a buy order for drugs.

Actually, BTW I don't have to imagine this law, it's in place in the US, it
just hasn't been used in this way yet.

John Garland
jgarland@kean.ucs.mun.ca