From: jet@nas.nasa.gov (J. Eric Townsend)
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 93 10:40:23 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Waco, crypto, and unbreakable links
In-Reply-To: <9304200237.AA14578@netcom.netcom.com>
Message-ID: <9304201740.AA18148@boxer.nas.nasa.gov>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


1016/2EF221 writes:
 > We can only speculate that the loss of life
 > might have been much fewer if the Branch Davidian
 > cult had a copy of PGP as well as a 2m packet
 > radio.

Yes, we can only speculate.  We can only speculate what would have
happened if the members who had left had told what they knew -- they
had/have many chances, including one member who called media from
prison.

Maybe the BD's didn't have anything to say in the first place?  Koresh
et al got plenty of radio time, and had even more time offered.  His
lawyers negotiated with media for film rights...

I don't think PGP/packet would have helped him a bit.  Having all his
neurons operating in a reality the rest of us live in might have
helped a bit more.

(I used to live in Texas, and have long known of the "Wackos in Waco",
so my sympathy level is a bit low...)