December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

NYtimes OPed pro-wiretapping 8/2
by Omegaman 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

found this today as well. One negative reply letter was also posted. reference: <http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/early/02heym.html> "August 2, 1996 Listening in on Terrorism By PHILIP HEYMANN CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- President Clinton's major proposals for new powers to fight terrorism are useful and pose no threat to Americans' civil liberties. " ( oooookkaaay...) " Many of these measures are intended only to give government as much power to thwart terrorism as it already has to combat other criminal acts." (do go on...I'm fascinated now) " The part of the plan that has drawn the most criticism from across the political spectrum involves proposals to increase the Government's investigative powers, particularly through wiretapping and other methods of monitoring phone calls. " [..snip..] (assertion follows that current laws are inadequate for electronic surveillance against terrorism.) " In criminal cases the courts have never considered the use of devices that record the numbers of incoming or outgoing calls on a telephone to be significant invasions of privacy." (Never mind what the "people" might say) " But there is no similar provision for investigations of suspected foreign terrorists. Under the President's proposal, agents would be allowed to use the devices if they can show that it is relevant to a terrorism investigation." (not exactly sure how a terrorist investigation differs from a criminal investigation...but this is the distinction Heyman is drawing. In his view, current law is not sufficient against domestic terrorist investigation.) " Under current law, officials must get a separate warrant for each phone the suspect uses unless they can prove the suspect is changing phones purposely to thwart investigation. This is a stricter standard than is applied even to requests to plant a microphone to overhear a suspect." [..snip..] " Government agents would still be required to show probable cause that the suspect is committing one of the offenses on the Federal list and that the calls being monitored will concern that crime. " (Gosh! Who knew the government and the FBI were so powerless?) " Philip Heymann, a former Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration, is a professor at Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government. Copyright 1996 The New York Times Company " (big shock, eh?) ... To say that Mr. Heymann is being misleading is an understatement. He ignores that the government wishes to be able to wiretap for 48 hours without prior court approval. He attempts to imply that the roving wiretap is focused on an individual rather than a location or locations. And he seems to believe that all of these enormous powers will not be abused. I wonder if he would feel differently if his personal FBI file was among those gathered by the Clinton administration. me -------------------------------------------------------------- Omegaman <omega(a)bigeasy.com> PGP Key fingerprint = 6D 31 C3 00 77 8C D1 C2 59 0A 01 E3 AF 81 94 63 send a message with the text "get key" in the "Subject:" field to get a copy of my public key. --------------------------------------------------------------

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The futility of trying to "tag" ammunition
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 3:38 AM 8/5/96, Sean Sutherland wrote: >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > >Hallam-Baker Wrote -- >> Date: Sun, 04 Aug 1996 20:20:20 -0400 > >> I personally think that tagants is an insuffieicent approach to >> the problem. Given the number of gun related homicides in the >> US it is not unreasonable to require each individual cartridge >> to be stamped with a serial number and for gun dealers to be >> required to record each individual purchase. That at least >> was my advice to the UK govt after Dunblane. > >There's four major problems with this. First off, a large number of Actually, there are so many problems with this that I dismissed Phill's "plan" out of hand. But since others are weighing in on it, I might as well, too. It has little CP relevance, except that it parallels other seemingly well though-out proposals which crumble when some common sense analysis is used. The key point is this: A billion rounds of ammunition already out in the U.S. + Perps typically fire fewer than 5 rounds in committing their crimes + Incredible logistical problems in tagging and tracking shells = An idea shot down. >guns used in homicides are revolvers or derringers (anyone got the >numbers?). These guns don't spit out the shells. So, it would be Most older guns in the hands of street punks are revolvers, though this is not necessarily where handgun homicides mostly come from. Those are "home shootings"--a man kills his wife, a woman kills her husband, a brother shoots a brother, etc. Most of these are done with guns that are handy and that have been in the family/house for a long time....most are, thus, revolvers. (The 1911 .45 is moderately common, but not nearly so much so as old .38s and even .22s.) In any case, Phill's proposal would collapse for this situation. First, the guns are very old and the ammo would not be the new "tagged cases." (In most cases, a old "box of shells." Most home owners of guns never fire practice rounds and tend to have a few boxes at most of shells, which they keep for many, many years.) And in most home killings, it becomes clear real fast who did the shooting. And, as Sean notes, these revolvers will not eject the shells. It is marginally possible that spent shells could be identified when fired from semi-automatics, of course. Other factors to consider, though: 1. The vast amount of ammo already out there. Given that perps typically fire only a handful in their criminal career, not hard to just use older ammo. (The Sternlight-favored argument might be invoked here: "Ah, but criminals are too stupid to do this, and so it will help." I disagree. Most street punks would understand the principal. Just as they seek out "clean" guns, they surely would not load their carry guns with 9mm ammo bought and "registered" under their own names. 2. Target shooters consume the vast majority of rounds. (This is why foolish proposals by Moynihan to "force" ammo to be sold for, say, $5 a round, is ineffectual for the intended purpose: the perp loading his .357 or 9mm will hardly be deterred by a $30 price, even assuming he would buy in a store at these prices.) (Think of the black market supply: my several thousand rounds of 9mm, .45, .223, etc., would be worth $15,000 or more at "Moynihan prices. The Feds could try to outlaw all ammo transfers between individuals...left as an exercise as to how effective this could ever be, and whether juries would send people off to the pen for the crime of selling some .45 shells.) 3. Reloaders. As others have noted, there is an essentially inexhaustible supply of reloaded shells. 4. The vast amound of ammo already out there. Crates and crates and crates of surplus ammo in all sorts of calibers, entire container ships of ammo coming to the U.S. (e.g, I just got my UPS delivery of 850 rounds of a Czech brand, Sellior and Bellot, and my 1000 rounds of Italian Fiocchi are due any day...multiply this by 100,000. 5. Stockpiling. Don't forget the "law of unintended consequences." The biggest gun boom in history came when the Feds cracked down on gun purchases. California gun stores were crowded for months. (Ditto for high-capacity magazines: in the months of "warning" that people had, factories cranked up production, customers stockpiled, and there was a sudden surge of interest in getting that previously-obscure 3-round mag for one's Glocks! :-}) >utterly useless to do so. The second problem is the number of shells >expelled in the US every day. I doubt there's enough room on the >butt end of a shell to print that number (it couldn't be printed on >the sides, as this would screw up the fit of the shell, and possibly >weaken it). And, it'd be almost impossible getting gun manufacturers to 6. There isn't enough room. The shell I have in my hand barely has enough room to print "FEDERAL 45 AUTO". A unique numbering of the total ammo sales, even by boxes and not individual cases, would need a 9-12 characters (and would likely run out in a few year--12-14 characters would be needed). Actually, this is the "most solvable" of the problems...the others are the real killers. >pay for the equiptment that it would take to emprint serial numbers. >The third number is that cartridges >are recycled. Aside from reloading your own, there's a large number >of people that sweep up brass from gun ranges to reload themselves. >The idea that someone swept up the brass could get almost anyone off. 7. There's this...and there's the possibility that one could implicate _others_. For example, pick up a few empty shells at the range. I imagine there might be some souvenir value in buying a "This shell was fired by Dianne Feinstein." (For the uniniated, at the same time DiFi was railing against the public's ownership of guns, she was carrying one in her purse.) This gets back to the "chain of evidence" point we so often mention. >The final problem is the paperwork. Cops today can barly keep up >with the paperwork involved with the Brady Bill. Could you imagine >if they had to keep track of AMMO purchases? 8. Indeed, it would inflate ammo prices too much. (Given that people like me have thousands of rounds, the ability to reload, and would be happy to undercut the local K-Mart's price.) >The NRA, I'm sorry to say, has screwed up royally. It's about time >that they regroup, or else they fall. > Indeed, I refused to renew my membership because of their wishy-washyness on basic issues. In my opinion, spending the "Life Member" fees on a Dillon reloading press is a better investment. --Tim May HOW TO MAKE A PIPE BOMB: "Buy a section of metal water pipe 1/2 by 6 inches long, threaded on both ends. Buy two metal caps to fit. These are standard items in hardware stores. Drill a 1/16th hole in the center of the pipe. This is easy with a good drill bit. Hanson is a good brand to use. Screw a metal cap tightly on one end. Fill the pipe to within 1/2 inch of the top with black powder. Do not pack the powder. Don't even tap the bottom of the pipe to make it settle. You want the powder loose. For maximum explosive effect, you need dry, fine powder sitting loose in a very rigid container." (more information at http://sdcc13.ucsd.edu/~m1lopez/pipe.html, or by using search engines)

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Re: SSNs (was Re: Internal Passports)
by jfricker＠vertexgroup.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 12:59 PM 8/5/96 -0700, you wrote: >Black Unicorn wrote: >> >[ ...random losers asking for your SSN... ] >> > I was horrified and gave a random number. >> >> You should always be horrified, and always give a random number. > >Well, it would be nice if it was that easy. You (legally) need to give >the correct one to anyone who has to make a report about you to the IRS, >right? Such as your employer. But it's not always clear who else needs >it. Originally the 1939 ('37?) Social Security Act explicitly stated that the SSN could not be used for anything except SSA matters. Times apparently have changed or perhaps it's just de facto legislation by complicity.

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United States as Northern Ireland
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 9:16 PM 8/5/96, hallam(a)Etna.ai.mit.edu wrote: >If you think the wiretap bill is bad think on this, all guns >of all types banned except where held by special license. >Checkpoints at major road intersections. Stop and search >patrols in city centers and the army on the street. Its not >at all far fetched, the UKgovt took less than a year to >introduce such measures in Northern Ireland. Constitution or >not, don't expect that the US Congress won't make a similar >response. Yes, I agree. Welcome to our side, Phill! --Tim May HOW TO MAKE A PIPE BOMB: "Buy a section of metal water pipe 1/2 by 6 inches long, threaded on both ends. Buy two metal caps to fit. These are standard items in hardware stores. Drill a 1/16th hole in the center of the pipe. This is easy with a good drill bit. Hanson is a good brand to use. Screw a metal cap tightly on one end. Fill the pipe to within 1/2 inch of the top with black powder. Do not pack the powder. Don't even tap the bottom of the pipe to make it settle. You want the powder loose. For maximum explosive effect, you need dry, fine powder sitting loose in a very rigid container." (more information at http://sdcc13.ucsd.edu/~m1lopez/pipe.html, or by using search engines)

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"lite" version of cpunks available?
by Steve Reid 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Are there any filtered versions of the Cypherpunks mailing list available? I'm currently subscribed to cypherpunks-d(a)gateway.com, but that machine is down and I haven't received anything in the past few days.

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Internet Economics
by Duncan Frissell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 02:22 PM 8/5/96 -0800, jim bell wrote: >The current question is how to motivate individuals and companies to invest >in improvements to the Internet that will benefit everyone. However, I don't >think that will be the limiting factor that it may currently appear to be. >Due to the nature of the Internet, there is nothing to prevent a company >(such as AOL, Compuserve, or other) from building a shadow version of the >Internet, through which all of its customer's traffic will pass until it >emerges local to its destination. Note that this is the business model for @HOME which will be handling the heavy lifting for various Internet Over Cable systems around the country. DCF

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Re: SSNs (was Re: Internal Passports)
by Duncan Frissell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 12:59 PM 8/5/96 -0700, Jamie Zawinski wrote: >Well, it would be nice if it was that easy. You (legally) need to give >the correct one to anyone who has to make a report about you to the IRS, >right? Such as your employer. Virtually no one in the history of the world has done any time for giving a false SS#. Considering the fact that millions of Americans daily drive drunk, exceed the lawful speed limit, drift through stop signs without coming to a complete halt pick each other up in bars and do a host of other things that are much more likely to get them in trouble than making up an SS#, I am constantly *amazed* that people always advise you not to do so. If it's good enough for the President of Israel, it's good enough for anyone. >Is it >needed to get a driver's license? (The fine print on the DMV forms says >"yes".) But most DMVs don't check and the SS is still resisting verification services (at least until the Immigration Bill passes). >Is it necessary to make use of employer-sponsored medical >insurance? (I suspect that the answer to this one is "no", except for >the fact that when my employer set up my medical insurance they let the >insurance company use my SSN as my insurance-related-ID-number. But in >any event, my dentist told me, "if you don't give it to us, they won't >pay.") Just make sure you give the insurance company and the doctor the same number. >If you already have a SSN, can you get a *new* one in any legal way? >(Sort of the same idea as changing your phone number to avoid >telemarketing scum...) The SS resists issuing new numbers in spite of widespread duplication and theft. Soon people will find themselves denied the right to work in this country unless the SS reverses this reluctance. If your SS# is stolen and used "too many times" in a future worker verification program, you're screwed. And there won't even be any welfare for you. Use Alta Vista to find the SS Number FAQ. There's more stuff. DCF

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Re: SSNs (was Re: Internal Passports)
by shamrock＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 16:13 8/5/96, Mike Duvos wrote: >Jamie Zawinski wrote: > >> If you already have a SSN, can you get a *new* one in any legal way? >> (Sort of the same idea as changing your phone number to avoid >> telemarketing scum...) To prevent the blacklisting of labor leaders by SSN, the Social Security Act has a provision that allows you to request a new SSN. You have a right to get a new SSN issued. Don't expect your SS office to know anything about it. [disclaimer: I am not an attorney] -- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred. Defeat the Demopublican Unity Party. Vote no on Clinton/Dole in November. Vote Harry Browne for President.

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Re: Public report of the EU crack.
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 12:12 AM 8/6/96, John C. Randolph wrote: >Well, well, well! > >So we gain a several allies in our battle against key-escrow, and >lo and behold, it's all the *other* governments who don't want >Uncle Sam to read their mail. > >I hope that any c'punks in foreign countries can make some politcal >hay with this: "Don't let the yankee imperialists tell us a goddamn thing >about crypto policy! They'll only use it to pull weasel moves in the >trade talks!" > >Actually, it might be a good thing for Her Majesty's government to >issue an advisory, saying not to buy US routers and encryption software, >because it can't be trusted, under present US ITAR rules. Agreed. The report was only surpising to me in that it appeared in print...anyone who read Bamford in '82 knew this sort of economic espionage was a major mission of the NSA and various private contractors. On the subject of routers and sniffers, excuse me if I'm misremembering things, but wasn't a certain anti-Mitnick hacker writing in one of his books about his role in developing certain "packet sniffers" that had properties desirable to the U.S. intelligence community? Perhaps the Brits are just being "monitored" by the Colonials? (If I sound paranoid, I just came from a showing of "Chain Reaction." Some flaws, but also some good reminders about the dangers of the "black budget," large listening posts in Virgina (and England and elsewhere), and a U.S. government that now sits astride the world.) --Tim May Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software! We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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Public report of the EU crack.
by John C. Randolph 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Well, well, well! So we gain a several allies in our battle against key-escrow, and lo and behold, it's all the *other* governments who don't want Uncle Sam to read their mail. I hope that any c'punks in foreign countries can make some politcal hay with this: "Don't let the yankee imperialists tell us a goddamn thing about crypto policy! They'll only use it to pull weasel moves in the trade talks!" Actually, it might be a good thing for Her Majesty's government to issue an advisory, saying not to buy US routers and encryption software, because it can't be trusted, under present US ITAR rules. -jcr

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