Re: Cypherpunks, keep your powder dry....

>       
> But as "street corner drug dealers" start to use encryption (it could
> happen...the "phase changes" to beepers and cellular phones happened
> in a matter of months), there will be calls for restrictions to "keep
> "unbreakable codes' out of the hands of criminals and terrorists.

This is not a flame on you Tim, but look at the absurdity of this!
Containers full of tons of coke come into the US daily, I'm sure these deals
are not made on street corners, (their made in bank offices, and import
agencies :),  Isn't this like trying to keep our nation safe by passing
laws outlawing to carrying of a suit case sized container through a 
busy public area (like grand central station) because someone might have
a portable thermonuclear device hidden inside.  How much does it take
for the average person to totally see through this flimsy sharade?
For the capitalist among us, if the street corner crack dealer is making
fortunes, how much are the people who supply him getting?  Do they use/
need to use encrypted communications?  Most of those dealers who are using
any form of remote communication  (the smart one's at least, will still 
do their deals heavy on ghetto slang, nuonce and metaphor, More like;

"Hey what up, I'll meet you at the spot, it's 3 yards for dorothy."
This translates to " Hello, How are you, we'll rendezvous at the usual location
$3,000 for an ounce"

Geoff White writes:

> > But as "street corner drug dealers" start to use encryption (it could
> > happen...the "phase changes" to beepers and cellular phones happened
> > in a matter of months), there will be calls for restrictions to "keep
> > "unbreakable codes' out of the hands of criminals and terrorists.
> 
> This is not a flame on you Tim, but look at the absurdity of this!
> Containers full of tons of coke come into the US daily, I'm sure these deals
> are not made on street corners, (their made in bank offices, and import

And this is not a flame back. I put "street corner drug dealers" in
quotes precisely to make an ironic point, that the Congresscritters
who make the laws will be citing these "street corner drug dealers" as
the justification of laws cracking down on crypto.

A code phrase, if you will.

Clearly there are many levels of drug distribution. Actually, I favor
complete and total drug legalization, and so I don't view drug
smuggling or sales as an kind of real crime. I just cited this is a
very likely rationale for crypto legislation--it certainly is not a
rationale many of us support.

-Tim May

-- 
..........................................................................
Timothy C. May         | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,  
tcmay@netcom.com       | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
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W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA  | black markets, collapse of governments.
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