From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 11:57:51 +0800
To: Declan McCullagh <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: MSNBC poll on crypto
In-Reply-To: <v03007807afa123f9eedd@[168.161.105.191]>
Message-ID: <v03007806afa1921a6fd1@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 5:55 PM -0800 5/15/97, Declan McCullagh wrote:
>Should the United States
>       remove restrictions on
>       the export of powerful
>       encryption technology?
>
>       * 283 responses
>
>       Unequivocally yes (84.1%)

You left out the very next question:

Should the United States allow unbreakable, military-grade cryptography to
be used undetectably by child pornographers, terrorists, and money
launderers?

         * 283 responses

         Unequivocally "No" (93.4%)


You see, it all depends on how the question is asked. I have long argued
that Americans are split, simultaneously, between two opposing world views:

"What have you got to hide?"

and

"None of your damned business."

Depending on the issue, or how the issue is phrased, either view may surface.

I certainly don't trust opinion polls. If MSNBC conducts a similar poll
after an Oklahoma City type of event, which we all have reason to suspect
is about to happen in the next six or seven months, and crypto is found to
be involved (seems likely), we can expect an opinion poll which arrives at
the "What have they got to hide" conclusion.

So?

--Tim May


There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!"
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
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: 2^1398269     | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."