From: "Claborne, Chris at SanDiegoCA" <claborne@microcosm.sandiegoca.NCR.COM>
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 94 10:04:01 PDT
To: cypherpunks <cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: FW: Crypto export legislation defeated in House Intelligence Cmte.
Message-ID: <2E09BF54@microcosm.SanDiegoCA.NCR.COM>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




> So much for lobbying.
>
> Look, something is going on here that doesn't meet the eye. Nothing is
> ever unanimous in Washington. These guys were told something by somebody
> that caused them to vote like this. You can bet it had nothing to do with
> terrorists, drug pushers, or pedophiles. Why don't you expend
> some effort to find out what they were told and by whom so we could learn
> what this issue is really about because it is NOT about "national 
security".
>

   Think about it...  If you've had the ability to listen to any voice or 
e-mail traffic you felt like with a simple telco set or inexpensive computer 
any time, anywhere you felt like, wouldn't you put up a fight?

   It's like trying to take a gun from a NRA member.  Once you have a 
freedom to do something you aren't going to give up easy.  It's only going 
to be more difficult since NSA, and other three letter orgs are part of the 
government.

   Our metro-police, FBI, CIA, XXX, have been able to tap phone and e-mail 
(illegally or with court permission, or in the name of "national security") 
as easy as plugging in a toaster.   Once citizens start using crypto 
systems, these three letter orgs are going to have to work for a living. 
 OK, so a crook is using crypto in his communications.  Most are so stupid, 
getting the keys won't be that hard and even better... the crook will still 
think his comm link is secure.  I'll stop here with my arguments for 
dropping the barriers to crypto.

   For NSA, finding the right string to pull is probably real easy.  The 
only thing we can do is continue to apply pressure at all fronts.  Educating 
the general public is on one front.  EFF has other fronts.

                                        ...  __o
                                       ..   -\<,
chris.claborne@sandiegoca.ncr.com      ...(*)/(*).      CI$: 76340.2422
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