From: shamrock@netcom.com (Lucky Green)
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 17:51:27 +0800
To: Cypherpunks <cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: Re: Crippled Notes export encryption
Message-ID: <v02120d09ad2cda2bf48f@[192.0.2.1]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 16:07 1/24/96, Peter D. Junger wrote:

>The ITAR are regulations, not a law passed by
>Congress.  The ITAR regulations relating to the export of cryptography
>are probably not authorized by any law (as well as being
>unconstitutional).  The reason for all the silly twists and turns
>under the ITAR is that the censors never succeeded in getting any law
>forbidding the use of cryptography, and it is not at all certain that
>they could get such a law passed.

They couldn't get a law passed _then_. Nor did they need to. They also
don't need one now, because they have rubber regulations at their disposal.
They will be able to get a law passed, should their interpretation of the
regulations be thrown out by a court. Passing such a law will be *trivial*.
Just put in the exceptions for the powerful special interest groups, such
as banks. The vote will be near unanimous, as it always is in similar
cases. See Digital Telephony.


-- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com>
   PGP encrypted mail preferred.