From: "Vladimir Z. Nuri" <vznuri@netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 12:57:48 +0800
To: David Sternlight <david@sternlight.com>
Subject: Re: Netscape
In-Reply-To: <v03007800ae18d6652564@[192.187.162.15]>
Message-ID: <199607221823.LAA18768@netcom5.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



DS
>I read Tim May's suggestions, and while he is sincere and trying to be
>helpful, I use strong language above because it's time we called things for
>what they are instead of politely pussyfooting around them. Monkeywrenchers
>are no friends of Cypherpunks. They are the enemy, as surely as is
>mandatory key escrow in the US.

wow, after only about a week DS has suddenly grasped the Tao of 
Cypherpunk and discovered the mysterious and elusive distinction of Those 
That Are and Those That Are Not. I'm really impressed. truly only
a great master could accomplish such a feat in such a short time. 
as long as I have been around here, even I do not have such confidence,
so I bow down to my superior <g>

David suggests that Netscape will be royally screwed if the gov't
cracks down on them because of "monkeywrenchers". but quite the
opposite is possible. as TCM fondly points out, sometimes you win
by losing and lose by winning (not necessarily in those words).

by creating a very large, glaring, and visceral
public spectacle of the government cracking down on crypto, the
resulting outcry could be absolutely enormous and resonate throughout
the entire population. it would be a vivid portrayal of what the
government has been doing quietly and secretly for decades, and
perhaps the public might finally understand what is going on.

before on this list I have advocated that we try to bait the government
into confiscating crypto at a border, or stopping a truck full of
microsoft products with "military grade crypto" at the border or 
something-- filming the customs agents with guns raised and have
a voiceover "what's in the truck? not submachine guns. not missles.
but computer disks. and the government feels they are every bit
as deadly".

p.s. personally I think "monkeywrenching" does have its uses at 
times <g>