From: Toto <toto@sk.sympatico.ca>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 20:59:42 -0800 (PST)
To: "Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM" <dlv@bwalk.dm.com>
Subject: Re: Market Failures, Monocultures, and Dead Kids (Oh My!)
In-Reply-To: <s8VT4D2w165w@bwalk.dm.com>
Message-ID: <3330B8E7.101F@sk.sympatico.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM wrote:

> > What's the point of the following? Discourse is healthy in an open system.
> > Why the exclusion?
> >
> > *|Perhaps you should take your STATIST tendicies over to alt.hitler.fanclub
> > *|as they are quite out of place here.
> >
> 
> I'm not sure how crypto-relevant this thread is, but I'm reading it
> with great interest.

  I am also following it with interest, since the issue of the 'rights'
of children, versus the 'need' for the STATE to 'protect' them, lies
very close to the heart of the issues surrounding strong crypto.

  The problem I see with the government's use of 'extreme' examples to
illustrate the need for total access to private communications is that
the government has seldom proven worthy of the trust that must be placed
in them in order for them to follow through on their claims to only want
to use their increased power against 'great evils'.
  For every decreed 'target' of fascist legislation, there always seem
to be hundreds, or thousands, of average citizens subjected to abuse
by those empowered to wield these increased powers.

  We have a government system which turns loose child-molesters and 
murderers after serving short portions of their sentences so that there
is more room for the kids who got caught smoking a joint, and for
grandmothers who put money in parking meters.
  The issues of private versus government rights and responsibilities
are moot, for the most part, as long as we continue to have government
for the sake of government, with increased government power and control
being touted as the 'answer' to all of our ills.
  The only true alternative for those caught in the midst of madness is
to try to step to the side, as much as possible. One's first priority
should be to try to keep from personally being run over by the runaway
train and, secondly, if they are of a mind, to do what they can to aide
others in stepping off of the tracks, as well.

  The CypherPunks are a diverse group, with a plethora of individual
interests, and differing views as to how promotion of privacy and 
freedom can best be accomplished, but most share the common trait
of doing 'something', of whatever magnitude and effectiveness, to
debate and act on matters which are of import in the issues surrounding
privacy and freedom.
  The fact that those who disagree with me are all idiots and assholes
still does not negate the fact that they are at least taking a stance
on these important issues, in their own sick, twisted, misguided way.
-- 
Toto
"The Xenix Chainsaw Massacre"
http://bureau42.base.org/public/xenix/xenbody.html