From: Jeff Weinstein <jsw@netscape.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 16:09:57 +0800
To: Alex Strasheim <cp@proust.suba.com>
Subject: Re: NSA says strong crypto to China?
In-Reply-To: <199601071553.KAA18768@pipe3.nyc.pipeline.com>
Message-ID: <30F0CE52.6E04@netscape.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Alex Strasheim wrote:
> That's what this list is all about:  we're trying to impose certain civil
> liberties on the world using a strategy that's based on anarchy theory.
> That theory tells us that if we can distribute tools and establish
> standards we'll secure privacy and free speech rights regardless of what
> governments do.  That's a very startling idea, and I believe it's sound.
> I believe that it's possible to impose the first ammendment on the entire
> world by distributing crypto software.
>
> So the question we ought to be putting to the NSA is this:  isn't it in
> the best interest of the United States and the other capitalist Western
> democracies to impose the first ammendment on the rest of the world?
> 
> I don't see how anyone could argue that it isn't.

  I think that you are putting too much faith in both the western
governments and the citizens of those countries.  If you read the article
that I originally quoted, you will find that the author (in the UK) feels
that the first ammendment gives us in the US too much freedom of speech.
I think that many (perhaps most) feel the same way.  They are willing to
give up their liberty for some dubious protections as Ben Franklin spins
in his grave.

	--Jeff

-- 
Jeff Weinstein - Electronic Munitions Specialist
Netscape Communication Corporation
jsw@netscape.com - http://home.netscape.com/people/jsw
Any opinions expressed above are mine.