From: Blanc <blancw@cnw.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Nov 1997 17:29:55 +0800
To: cypherpunks@Algebra.COM
Subject: Re: effective GACK fighting
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971102012712.006cd37c@cnw.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Tim May wrote:

>Where have you folks been the last couple of years? Given that the list has
>been discussing the Bernstein case (and 30 of us even attended some of
>Judge Patel's hearings in SF), and the Junger and Karn cases have been
>extensively reported, and the CDA was overturned, I'd certainly say court
>battles have been a priority for a long time.
.............................................


The Bernstein, Junger, and Karn cases are all about a single issue.   The
EFF focuses on the same computer/internet/privacy issues.   What I was
envisioning was the fundamental conflicts like a basic observance of
respect for human beings in their pursuit of the Three Virtues (the
opposite of the Four Horsement <g>) - Life, Liberty, Happiness, and for
legitimate consent - not the manufactured "voluntary" complicity to demands
like taxation and all the other crimes which have been discussed on the list.

>Certainly I don't know of any Cypherpunks pushing for legislative
>solutions. Most of us have explicitly condemned the legislative actions,
>realzing that Congress can only make things worse.

I wouldn't expect any new laws to be passed as a result of this kind of
court battle, nor expect Congress or even the Supremes to approve of and
support it.  The only purpose would be to challenge the whole lot of
government agencies who accept the above-mentioned flaws as unquestionable
government rights-of-way.   A revolutionary sort of action, in other words,
not for the purpose of getting legislation/legislators on "our side", but
to back them up against the wall and squish them.   (Operation Squish.
heh-heh.  Ya'll remember that?)

I don't know exactly how this could be brought about, but I would expect it
would have more the structure and sense of a 'noble cause' such as the
Originals brought to their revolution, than simply to gather into groups
like the 'Patriots' and the 'Freemen' and such, who are more incoherent
than admirable.  

The Originals also made their attempts at negotiating their case with
unsympathetic rulers, preceding their realization that they were getting
nowhere.  And it is more than likely that current court judges are just as
dull and dense and morally asleep at the wheel as King George.   But the
thing is to bring out these flaws explicitly, in the place designed for
such things, where they may be attended to in the civilized manner created
for such conflicts of MO.    The Case of the Individual against the State.

I can dream, can't I?   It would make a great TV series.   (You, of course,
would rather spit-polish your guns and buy more ammo.)
    ..
Blanc