From: Zero Powers (zero_powers@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Apr 03 2000 - 20:20:58 MDT
>From: "John Clark" <jonkc@worldnet.att.net>
>
>Zero Powers <zero_powers@hotmail.com> Wrote:
>
> >the President does not make the laws, that is the job of Congress.
>
>And do you really think there is a snowball's chance in hell of Congress
>ever passing a law requiring universal surveillance unless they included
>an exception for themselves and the President?
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: as long as the jobs of politicians depend on pleasing their
constituents, those politicians will have to at least appear to favor
legislation demanded by the people, even if it is contrary to their own
personal interests. Think term limits and campaign finance reform.
Everybody and their mother on Capitol Hill is clamoring for campaign finance
reform. Do you think any of them *really* want it? No. Will it eventually
be implemented? What do you think?
> > No encryption is unbreakable, that is just a fact.
>No, it is not a fact. Quantum Encryption, which has actually been used in
>a commercial setting not just in the lab, is as secure as the laws of
>physics.
*That* is news to me. Do you know where I can find out more about this
quantum encryption?
> >Further, if such cypherpunk activities are criminalized, the very act
>of
> >attempting to use encryption for the purpose of tampering with the
> >public record would likely be construed to be a forfeiture of your
>rights.
>
>I think you need to learn a little more about cryptography. There are ways
>of
>using DC nets so that you not only don't know what I'm saying you don't
>even
>know who I'm talking to. There are ways of using Steganography so you not
>only don't know who I'm talking to, you don't even know that I'm talking.
>There are
>ways of putting information in a form so that it's useful to me and nobody
>else,
>or if I prefer, I can make it useful to you and me and nobody else. There
>are ways
>I can prove that I have a certain piece of secret information without
>giving you the
>slightest clue as to what that information is.
For the criminally inclined, there are always clever ways to commit crimes.
That does not mean that society will not criminalize acts which are
difficult to observe or that law-abiding citizens will adopt criminal
methods, or that the few who do will never be caught. If you don't mind
living as a criminal I don't mind letting you do it. But you will get no
sympathy from me when you are caught and punished.
-Zero
"I like dreams of the future better than the history of the past"
--Thomas Jefferson
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