From: karn@qualcomm.com (Phil Karn)
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 93 23:53:42 PDT
To: peb@PROCASE.COM
Subject: Re:  Sound bite time
Message-ID: <9304200653.AA10987@servo>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Paul E. Baclace:

>As we move into the electronic frontier, the freedom to use crypto-privacy 
>technology is becoming the equivalent to the right to bear arms:
>it is the last line of defense against a tyrannic government.  The good 
>news is that privacy is a defensive technology, not an offensive one.
>Giving up this un-enumerated right could be disasterous to future 
>generations.

I really, *REALLY* hope that this argument doesn't catch on.
Regardless of your opinions on gun control, you have to admit that
linking crypto to weapons saddles it with an enormous amount of
political baggage that we simply doesn't need. And it plays right into
the hands of those in the government who consider it as a "munition"
for export control purposes.

I think we already have plenty of strong arguments in defense of the
right to encrypt without opening up this can of worms. It can only
turn off a lot of people who would otherwise support us.

Phil