From: Robert Hettinga <rah@shipwright.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 1997 07:19:42 +0800
To: jf_avon@citenet.net
Subject: Re: Real issue of crypto controls: security or taxation loss?
In-Reply-To: <199709131600.MAA22590@cti06.citenet.net>
Message-ID: <v0311071bb040b614b1ba@[139.167.130.248]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



At 5:02 pm -0400 on 9/13/97, Fred Hapgood wrote:


>  Health and security are the governing
> superstitions of our age.

Hmmmm... "My country 'tis of thee, land of gerontocracy"...

:-).

> What are you saying here?  That we should be arguing that encryption
> should be permitted because it will allow people to avoid paying
> taxes?  I'm afraid the set of people that would respond well to that
> argument is not was large as you would hope.

Amen. I, for one, say that the only hope is technological. If you make
commerce and finance cheaper without book entries, then book entry taxation
and regulation go away.

Hope we don't get fooled again, and all that, but at least you don't have
Archie* looking up your dress anymore...

Cheers,
Bob Hettinga

*WWI pilot expression for anti-aircraft fire. Named for a music hall
character with very shiny shoes. Hmmm^2. A cypherpunk neologism, anyone?
I'll use it if you will...



-----------------
Robert Hettinga (rah@shipwright.com), Philodox
e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/