From: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 94 15:51:13 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: OFFSHORE DIGITAL BANKS
Message-ID: <199408312231.SAA23437@pipe1.pipeline.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Responding to msg by tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May) on Tue, 
30 Aug 12:12 PM


>The link with crypto is an important one: with the loss 
>of the  U.S.S.R. as a superpower, the world is 
>"unipolar" in terms of real  superpower force. The U.S. 
>can throw its weight around, encouraging  compliance 
>with U.S. polices in most areas. Everything from 
>abortion  policy to banking secrecy laws to key 
>escrow.
>
>(I'm not saying the U.S. threatens force against, say, 
>Luxembourg or  Italy, just that the pressures to go 
>along with the U.S. New World  Order are strong.



Tim, would you expand the link to crypto of unipolar 
superpower?

Maybe some of the non-US c'punks can add more.

Here's my >$.02:

Some folks in other countries of more afraid of the USG and 
national security capitalism (protection of "national 
interest") than some of us are.  They view it as normal that 
the Government will advance and protect interests of its 
economy, including, if necessary, by military force.

Those who have lived abroad know that fear of our foreign 
policy is greater than the US public may want to believe.  Our 
domestic-oriented politics clouds understanding of the effects 
of what is perceived to be aggression against the sovereignty 
of other nations' culture.

Other countries' drive for nuclear weapons, or alliances with 
those who have nuclear capabilities, is based what they think 
is a "real politik" necessity to the loss of being able to 
balance the Soviets against the US.

China, as the most obvious example, is working this 
fear-of-the-west hard to gain support in Asia and the Middle 
East for its nuclear program.  Smaller countries have shown in 
their UN votes that they might welcome increased Chinese power 
to offset the Soviet loss, even as they hold out hands to the 
US.

It will be difficult to convince these skeptics that US 
business can compete in the world without military backing.


John