From: ab411@detroit.freenet.org (David R. Conrad)
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 12:28:01 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Ass. Politics
Message-ID: <199602260351.WAA28868@detroit.freenet.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




Salman Rushdie, in a speech I heard several years ago, said that it was
widely doubted that Iran would or could actually come up with the three
million dollar bounty on his head.

This may play a large part in why he is still around.

Also, while speaking at the National Press Club recently, flogging his
new book, he said (from memory), "Iran now wants us to believe that they
don't want to kill anyone, and in fact never did.  I wish they'd told us
sooner, it would have saved a lot of trouble."  This was greeted with
laughter.  He added, "But when the European Union tries to get them to
put it in writing, they are unwilling to do so."

If Iran is sending mixed messages about whether they even *intend* to
pay off, coupled with widespread doubts of their ability to, it isn't
surprising that no one has offed him.

I think all the analyses of the economic costs of protecting one person
vs. protecting many people are rather beside the point, in light of this.


--
David R. Conrad, conrad@detroit.freenet.org   PGP key on    GDFN Hardware and
http://detroit.freenet.org/staff/conrad        home page   Software Committee
"If you can't say 'fuck', you can't say 'fuck the government'." --Lenny Bruce