From: "Ernest Hua" <hua@teralogic-inc.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 06:40:04 +0800
To: <cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Re:_Commerce_Undersecretary_William_Reinsch_defends_the_go?==?iso-8859-1?Q?vernment=92s_encryption_policy_?=
Message-ID: <01bb01bdf886$f2f524a0$4164a8c0@mve21>
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Michael,

Absolutely!  But I still really am hoping in desperation that some
people in the main stream press would get a clue that this is all
double speak, and that they are simply playing a game to buy time
for their old system, and buy political wins for the next system.

Heck, if I was in FBI/NSA's shoes, and this was the slimy game I
see everyday in D.C., it would be the same game I play to get what
I need.  And I would be very irresponsible if I did not play the
game, however slimy it is.

The problem is that it seems like most of the public take speeches
like the speakers are pretty much honest, when in fact, most of
the time, they are playing spin control.

I have no doubt the FBI/NSA are in trouble.  Echelon (or whatever
they call it) is in trouble.  They are irresponsible if they did
not fight to the end to preserve some of their multi-billion $$$
investment, but they are in dire straits if they are hoping for a
second generation centralized scanning intelligence machinery like
Echelon.  My belief is that they have to gather automated
intelligence from far more disparate and heterogenous (and
possibly conflicting) sources in the near future, and find ways to
make sense out of all of the data.

But I think the intelligent observer would see that they have no
choice because this technology .. I hate that word because people
call some of the most simple and dumb stuff "technology" in order
to make money from it .. this technology is impossible to control,
which means that precisely the most important target worth going
after will have plenty of resources to foil Echelon, but the
people made most vulnerable (because of the regulations) are the
common folks.

THAT is what is pissing me off.  If they have some effective way
to regulate underground trade of encryption, then they would have
a story to tell.  However, the fact that most encryption get out
of this country so darn fast (we're counting minutes now ...)
means they are not even trying.  Prosecuting that guy in San Jose
is just nuts.  Since when does prosecuting a legitimate business
man will actually stop people, who firmly believing that they
have some natural right to distribute encryption?

And I must emphasize that my opinion has NOTHING to do with
whether encryption SHOULD, from a social/political/legal view, be
exportable or not.

Ern