From: The Deviant <deviant@pooh-corner.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 14:44:34 +0800
To: Tom Weinstein <tomw@netscape.com>
Subject: Re: Netscape
In-Reply-To: <31F2DBAE.41C6@netscape.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.94.960722185601.950C-100000@switch.sp.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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On Sun, 21 Jul 1996, Tom Weinstein wrote:

> Date: Sun, 21 Jul 1996 18:38:54 -0700
> From: Tom Weinstein <tomw@netscape.com>
> To: "James A. Donald" <jamesd@echeque.com>
> Cc: cypherpunks@toad.com
> Subject: Re: Netscape
> 
> James A. Donald wrote:
> > 
> > At 03:27 PM 7/20/96 -0700, Tom Weinstein wrote:
> > > Why not consider what the consequences will be?  Do you seriously
> > > believe that this will make the government stop enforcing ITAR?
> > 
> > Yes:
> > 
> > Widespread politically motivated disobedience forces
> > the state to either demonize the disobedient, (as with drug users)
> > or give up enforcement.  This is a standard and effective method
> > of forcing the repeal of laws, a method which has had a long record
> > of success for several hundred years.
> 
> A handful of cyperpunks hardly constitutes "widespread polititcally
> motivated disobedience".  In any case, the demonization has already
> begun; they point their fingers at the four horsemen of the internet
> at every oportunity.
> 

One might say the same thing about 10 or 20 people throwing shipments of
tea off of boats in boston harbor.

> 
> What I object to is anonymous activists who perform acts at no risk to
> themselves which make it harder for those of us who are trying to bring
> strong crypto to everyone.
> 

Why?  Because they can do it without risk?  The way I see it, if you can
do something that should be done, and you can do it at no risk to
yourself, then its all the better.

> > The states cohesion derives from its legitimacy, and threats to
> > legitimacy and cohesion are treated very seriously by government
> > officials.
> > 
> > Threatening the states legitimacy is arguably more effective in
> > influencing government behavior than blowing up federal office
> > buildings.
> 
> The first step is to create at least a strong minority.  A handful of
> cypherpunks can be largely ignored.  We have to get the general
> public using and educated about strong crypto before civil disobedience
> will mean anything.

Hrmm... I'll agree with that... We need to do something to get ourselves
noticed (and no, I don't mean blowing up the NSA headquarters)

 --Deviant


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