From: Duncan Frissell <frissell@panix.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 07:57:03 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: RE: "trust management" vs. "certified identity"
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960107233946.00902734@panix.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 12:00 PM 1/7/96 -0800, Timothy C. May wrote:

>Frankly, the notion that a central government would issue proofs of
>trustability, via identity cards and the like, is a modern invention.
>
>(The message of Vinge's "True Names" was partly ironic, that one's True
>Name is important primarily in allowing tagging by the government. Ordinary
>people rarely need True Names. 
>
>I don't want official proof of my identity. If others want it, let them
>make their own arrangements.

In the early 1950's Robert Heinlein and his wife Virginia took a trip around
the world ("Tramp Royale" recently published by Ace Books).  He had to apply
for a Passport and got a Certificate of Delayed Birth Registration from
Missouri since his county had not kept birth records when he was born.

"I breathed a sigh of relief; at last I was me.  I had attended school
[Annapolis BTW], been commissioned in the armed services, held two civil
service jobs, married, voted run for office, drawn a pension and done all
manner of things as a flesh-and-blood being through more than four decades,
all without having had any legal existence whatsoever."

Proof of identity is never needed.  Proof of authorization is only needed by
one's bankers.  The rest is government garbage.  Hopefully enough people
will learn this and we can reduce the nonsense a bit.

DCF

"Where are your papers?  

Sorry buddy, I'm a fundamentalist.  I don't go in for that Mark of the Beast
stuff.  Have you ever read Revelations?  You aren't one of those tools of
Satan are you?"