From: Blanc <blancw@cnw.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 09:34:37 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: "Show me an example of terrorists using the Internet or crypto"
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971002182138.006b0274@cnw.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




Individuals need ways to defend themselves from the physical aggression of
others.   One of the reasons why people associate into societies, cities,
and governments, is for the advantages of protection which can be achieved
by large numbers of people acting in concert against their common enemy.
They also insitute police forces and national defense agencies for the same
reason:  defense against physical aggression.

Everyone on the planet has enemies, and anyone can become, or behave
essentially as, an enemy - even someone's physically stronger kid brother
who decides to hit them with a stone because of talking on the phone too
long, even a former lover/husband who decides to kill their girlfriend/wife
out of jealousy.  

Stalkers, thieves, rapists, drug addicts, perverts, etc., or just real
animals from the animal kingdom, strike at the most inopportune times, when
there are no officially sanctioned police forces around to be of help.
But even if there were security guards constantly available at every street
corner or planted inside one's house, the principle is the same:  people
are physially vulnerable and need defense from those who would take
advantage of them, who would by weaken them and do physical harm.

Guns are imperfect tools and humans are often imperfect fools in the use of
them.   Se la vie.   Nevertheless, until the design of guns is improved, or
until there is a better weapon, a better tool invented which can be used by
individuals  - independently of organized defense agencies - for their own
use in regard of their own safety, guns will be manufactured, sold, and
bought.  And used.

Killing people is a Bad Thing, but there exist people who don't prevent
themselves from doing harmful, destructive things to others.   At that
particular point in time, when they are about to commit their crime against
another, their potential victims are in the position of having to do
something of practical use, and quickly.   They could use karate, or
ju-jitsu, or ninja stars, or call their dog to attack, or yell for help, or
use their special pocket knife, or run, or use a gun.  But they must do
*something*, they must employ some means to prevent from being harmed, or
from having their valuables taken, or else suffer the consequences of
debility or death.

Such is the position which an "out-of-control" person can put one in.   It
is possible to reason that such uncontrolled people need to have been
raised better, could have received psychological assistance, should have
been given an alternative view of life, might have been presented with
better values and philosophies, etc.   But you have to also consider how
much intellectual support any individual must be provided - must they be
programmed from birth with the proper structure of behavior, in order to
have around oneself the convenience of living with "good people" who are
not inimical to the society?   (and would that be a society of real humans,
of interest to other real humans)   Is what a person makes of themselves
ultimately a personal project, or is it to be pre-determined and
continuously managed by others (parents, teachers, guidance counselors,
psychologists, government clerks, policing agencies, government agencies,
government leaders).   When you relate to a person, will you be relating to
someone with their own identity and personal ambitions, who make
independent decisions about the actions they take, or only to a product of
other people's influence?

In any case, when someone behaves counter to your own wishes and seeks do
with you what they will, or to take from you what they will, including your
life, you must determine whether to allow it or how to prevent it - and if
moved to prevent it, what will work to accomplish that.  It might be
necessary to kill that Bad Person (though not their whole family or
relatives or neighborhood or race or country). 

    ..
Blanc