1996-07-13 - Re: Destabilizing China’s Government with Strong Crypto

Header Data

From: t byfield <tbyfield@panix.com>
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Message Hash: 561085b46d388f902ec9b125efeccd2bb34457fdd6ed80dcabb79af2fba031de
Message ID: <v03007602ae0c52e602ab@DialupEudora>
Reply To: N/A
UTC Datetime: 1996-07-13 06:10:19 UTC
Raw Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 14:10:19 +0800

Raw message

From: t byfield <tbyfield@panix.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 14:10:19 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Destabilizing China's Government with Strong Crypto
Message-ID: <v03007602ae0c52e602ab@DialupEudora>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 12:10 PM +0000 on 7/12/96, Deranged Mutant wrote:


> On 12 Jul 96 at 0:04, Timothy C. May wrote:
> [..]
> > And this is yet another example of the negative effects of the U.S.
> > restrictions on crypto export: where widespread crypto tools might be used
> > to destabilize repressive governments, the lack of these tools integrated
> > into common applications makes it harder for freedom-fighters in China,
> > Burma, Iran, France, etc., to use them.
>
> The US has a sad history of supporting its own 'friendly dictators'
> though.  Makes it hard to support flow of decentralizing tech to
> destabalize countries like Iraq but keep countries like El Salvador
> in the fold.

	Me too. In fact, citing "freedom fighters" to justify relaxing ITAR is
neither more nor less disingenuous than citing "international arms traders"
to justify maintaining or tightening it; and given the litany of imbecilic,
corrupt, rump, and reactionary regimes and factions the US has supported
over the past decades, it isn't exactly going to win over hearts and minds
in the agencies that have a strong hand in ITAR.

Ted







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