From: Rich Graves <llurch@networking.stanford.edu>
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 17:09:50 -0700 (PDT)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re:  US law - World Law - Secret Banking
In-Reply-To: <199604252321.QAA17568@jobe.shell.portal.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.GUL.3.93.960425170147.27532M-100000@Networking.Stanford.EDU>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Thu, 25 Apr 1996, Hal wrote:

> I was encouraged to read the description by former NSA lawyer Stewart
> Baker of Japan's attitudes towards crypto policy (from the URL posted
> here by wb8foz@nrk.com, http://www.us.net/~steptoe/276915.htm).  We can
> all take heart in what Baker finds alarming:

Yeah, that's sweet. I'm concerned that it might paint too glowing a
picture of Japanese civil liberties, though.

NOTE: -LOlsen (I'm speaking beyond my experience)

It was my impression that the Japanese response to the Aum Shinrikyo
terrorist gassing was more draconian and one-sided than the US response to
the Oklahoma City bombing. For all the doomsday talk, you must acknowledge
that the "anti-terrorism" bill was stalled for a full year by an odd
coalition of right-wing and civil-liberties groups. I have not heard about
such political discussions in Japan. The police seemed to have carte
blanche to ban the cult, seize its assets, and investigate and/or arrest
anyone associated with it. 

If I'm misinformed, please enlighten me.

It's certainly true that internationalization usually means openness,
which usually means privacy and freedom.

-rich