From: rah@shipwright.com (Robert Hettinga)
Date: Sat, 30 Jul 94 09:27:47 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: "Just say 'No' to key escrow."
Message-ID: <199407301626.MAA10015@zork.tiac.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At  2:08 PM 7/30/94 +0100, Graham Toal wrote:
>: From: solman@mit.edu
>
>: This is a relatively inane conspiracy theory. Gates hardly requires any
>: assistance since the feds were already committed to setting up licenses
>: in bands that are good for these types of networks. Both the FCC and Hughes
>: have sped up their efforts towards these systems in recent days.
>
>That's just the terrestrial side.  What about actually getting the birds up?
>

Oddly enough, they're discussing the use of a modified version of Orbital
Sciences' Pegasus launcher.  It currently uses a B-52 to carry the rocket
to ~40K ft., and then lets it go on up to LEO.  However, there's no reason
they can't use a 747 as the "first stage". 747's are newer and cheaper and
easier to maintain, and the result would be private enterprise from the
ground up.

At the risk of sounding like pollyanna, we may again be seeing fascists
behind every Bush(?) here...  Yet, conducting a public awareness campaign,
in the shrillest possible terms, against SKE (or more properly, government
mandated SKE) is a very good idea.  It's easy to separate the two on a
conceptual basis, and we should.

Conspiracy theories about collusion between governments and big business,
no matter how monopolistic those businesses, usually don't wash.  Economic
institutions really can't keep secrets for very long these days, especially
secrets with significant economic impact. While I believe that they
probably try, it's a little like pissing in the wind (if you're looking for
the proper middle-class white northern european unconciousness-raised male
metaphor ;-).

However, I have to admit people do stupid things for uneconomic reasons.
Windows is living proof of that.  Microsoft offering a "security" package
with SKE in it to their most lucrative market (Large, Hieropatriarchical,
Semi-ossified, Ex-industrial Corporations), is very plausible without any
collusion with the uncle necessary.  Us howling like banshees about it
makes real sense in that light.  LHSECs really hate it when people howl at
them like like banshees.

Exhortatory prose (and action) about manning the barracades against SKE
makes sense. Conspiracy theories will probably make potential allies laugh.

Cheers,
Robert Hettinga

-----------------
Robert Hettinga  (rah@shipwright.com) "There is no difference between someone
Shipwright Development Corporation     who eats too little and sees Heaven and
44 Farquhar Street                       someone who drinks too much and sees
Boston, MA 02331 USA                       snakes." -- Bertrand Russell
(617) 323-7923