From: tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 04:32:47 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: [WAS xs4all.nl] Terrorists
Message-ID: <ae598c7d1502100440f6@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 11:50 AM 9/9/96, Jon Lebkowsky wrote:
>At 11:01 AM 9/9/96 +0200, Stephan Schmidt wrote:
>
>>One thought : How many of you would support terrorist
>>web server (say Oklahoma, TWA, Iran, Lybia, RAF, IRA, ...) ?
>
>I.e. "How many of you support the right to free speech regardless of content."
>
>Wellll...there is the rule about speech which endangers; "fire in a crowded
>theatre" is the cliche-example. What could a terrorist SAY that would
>endanger? Personally, I'd rather have terrorists building html than bombs.

As Dettweiler is usually so fond of pointing out, it would be disingenuous
of us not to acknowledge that the systems we are talking about (fully
untraceable, strong anonymity, digital pseudonyms, digital cash,
information markets, i.e., "crypto anarchy") will in fact be used for all
sorts of things. Including folks who want to blow up Parliament, the
Congress, the People's Tribunal, etc.

And by folks who wish to trade in CBW secrets, who wish to arrange contract
killings, and so on.

This has been well-known for many years. My paper on "Crypto Anarchy and
Virtual Communities" was villified by no less than Dorothy Denning for
describing how these things may evolve.

I don't worry overmuch about a few thousand or even a few million people
dying as a result of something we have had an influence on developing,
anymore than the developers of many technologies need to worry about how
others use their technologies.

And the net effect of crypto anarchy is to destabilize and marginalize
central governments, which is a net positive effect. If some eggs get
broken in the process, the biological imperative will generate more eggs.
No big deal.

--Tim May

We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."