From: Jon Lebkowsky <jonl@well.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 14:05:06 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: What is the EFF doing exactly?
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960904034147.006f6cd4@mail.well.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 08:04 PM 9/3/96 -0700, Timothy C. May wrote:

>The reason this is such a hot button for Cypherpunks is that "responsible
>freedom" and "accountability" are often code words for controlling some
>very basic freedoms. Placing limits on anonymous speech would involve some
>very fundamental restrictions on freedoms of various sorts. Even if
>"safeguards" are built-in, the effect would almost certainly be to
>illegalize remailers (unless they had "escrow" features!). And a wide array
>of other freedoms, too numerous for me to write about here.

The terms "responsibility" and "accountability" are misused, which is
unfortunate, since I think we'd all argue in favor of taking responsibility
for our speech/actions in a positive sense. The negative is in asking me to
sacrifice my freedom because some few behave irresponsibly. This is like
setting an illogical default, assuming that it's a preventive, but it
prevents nothing.

Getting beyond this discussion of EFF, has any global entity discussed
making remailers illegal?

jonl

--
Jon Lebkowsky <jonl@hotwired.com>  FAX (512)444-2693  http://www.well.com/~jonl
Electronic Frontiers Forum, 6PM PDT Thursdays     <http://www.hotwired.com/eff>
"No politician can sit on a hot issue if you make it hot enough."--Saul Alinsky