December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: BXA denies my administrative appeal
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

--- begin forwarded text X-Authentication-Warning: blacklodge.c2.net: majordom set sender to owner-cryptography(a)c2.org using -f Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 22:05:53 -0500 Comments: This message was remailed by a pseudonymous server. The operators have no way to determine the original sender. To contact the operator, write to <admin(a)anon.efga.org>. From: Miles Vorkosigan <miles_w(a)anon.efga.org> Subject: Re: BXA denies my administrative appeal Sender: owner-cryptography(a)c2.net To: undisclosed-recipients:; In message <v03007800b09f865249e2(a)[172.17.1.150]>, Rick Smith writes: > > I recently spoke informally with a couple of sub-Cabinet level officials on > crypto policy. Their comments indicated that the FBI et al are dominating > internal meetings on the subject with the same polarizing rhetoric they're > using in Congress. One official said that he was accused of intentionally > aiding terrorists at one of these meetings. During a recent application for crypto export approval, which should have been routine, we were contacted by an individual from the *FBI* (not from BXA) who refused our export license because we didn't have a key recovery system *in place now*. This is despite the facts that: - the export license was to use our strong cryptography products for communications between our international sales offices and head office; this used to be a rubber-stamp license, and - we are in the process of implementing key recovery technology as part of a a seperate export approval for our DES-56 products. I couldn't even get an answer as to why the FBI had jurisdiction over our export approval. -- Miles --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/ Ask me about FC98 in Anguilla!: <http://www.fc98.ai/>

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Update On Jim Bell
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Just a bit of new info about recent court actions, which is documented at: http://jya.com/jimbell-dock4.htm In short, on November 17 Jim's attorney (D') and the prosecutor (P') submitted Sentencing Memoranda to the Court. On November 21 (the previously scheduled sentencing date), D' presented a Supplement to Sentencing Memo. Both of D's memos were Filed Under Seal, but not the P's. On November 21 the Court acks receipt of the sentencing memoranda and a Pre-Sentencing Report (PSR) from the Probation Officer (PO). There was argument. The Court will present counsel with additional questions on sentencing. The sentencing is postponed (continued) until December 12. Jim, jail (D' remanded). Leg. wiz. w'll now expl. ths is just jive just. in No. 1 Amer.

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USACM Calls on Pres Clinton to Veto HR 2265
by USACM Washington Office 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

PRESS RELEASE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1997 COMPUTER SCIENTISTS URGE PRESIDENT CLINTON TO VETO LEGISLATION RESTRICTING FLOW OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION Computer scientists fear that legislation rushed through in the closing days of Congress may inadvertently criminalize many scientific publications that are freely available on the Internet today. They are calling on the President to veto the measure. The Association for Computing's U.S. Public Policy Committee (USACM) said that the legislation could lead to criminal prosecutions against scientists, educators and others who do nothing more than share their own articles on the Internet with students and colleagues. According to USACM Chair Dr. Barbara Simons, "This legislation was hurried through Congress, was poorly drafted, and is likely to have many unintended consequences." The "No Electronic Theft Act" would criminalize the copying of materials which are currently protected under the well established U.S. doctrine of Fair-Use. According to the Act, any person who infringes a copyright willfully, by the electronic reproduction or distribution of one or more copies which have a total retail value of more than $1000 dollars, will be subject to a criminal prosecution. The scientists say that an essential element of research is that papers be reviewed by others. Scientists submit papers describing their research to scientific journals which facilitate the peer-review process. The journals then print the reviewed papers and thus own their copyrights. Since the Internet's development, researchers have used it to make their research widely available to others in their field. According to the letter, "Under the No Electronic Theft Act, an author who posts their research on the Internet, and whose documents are frequently read on-line, could be subject to criminal prosecution." USACM argues that the No Electronic Theft Act will have a chilling effect upon the free speech of scientists and professionals in universities and research labs. Universities may forbid scientists from publishing their research on- line, or reading and reviewing other scientist's research on-line, to avoid the potential of massive copyright litigation. According to Dr. Simons "This legislation is clearly contrary to the White House's stated goal of avoiding Internet regulation. We believe it is inconsistent with the Administration's policy to promote dramatically expansive laws for the Internet where other less burdensome means may be available to address copyright concerns." The Association for Computing (ACM) is the largest and oldest professional association of computer scientists in the United States. ACM's U.S. Public Policy Committee (USACM) facilitates communications between computer scientists and policy makers on issues of concern to the computing community. For more information, Please contact: Barbara Simons, Chair, USACM: 408/256-3661, simons(a)VNET.IBM.COM David Farber, USACM: 215/898-9508, farber(a)cis.upenn.edu Lauren Gelman, Associate Director, USACM, 202/544-4859, gelman(a)acm.org http://www.acm.org/usacm/copyright/ _____________________ November 25, 1997 President William J. Clinton 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Clinton: The Association for Computing's U.S. Public Policy Committee believes that the "No Electronic Theft Act" (H.R. 2265), which is now before you, does not adequately reflect the nature of the new digital environment and will have a negative impact on the rich scientific communications that have developed on the Internet in many fields, including computer science. For this reason, we are asking you to veto the legislation. We agree that copyright holders have a legitimate need to protect their intellectual property. However, we are concerned that the bill was rushed through both Houses of Congress without careful consideration of its unintended consequences. We are concerned the Bill may: * Restrict scientists and other professionals from making their research available on the Internet for use by colleagues and students. Most scientists do not own the copyright on their own materials. Instead, that copyright ownership is retained by the scientific journal which peer-reviews and publishes the research. Under the No Electronic Theft Act, an author who posts their research on the Internet, and whose documents are frequently read on-line, could be subject to criminal prosecution. If the bill becomes law, scientists may have to choose between having their work peer-reviewed or making it widely available. * Criminalize the transfer of information that is currently protected under the U.S. 'fair use' doctrine. Copyright law is derived from the U.S. Constitution and is intended to advance "science and the useful arts." The fair-use doctrine protects reading and nonprofit copying and thus allows scientists and educators to openly exchange information. H.R. 2265 does not explicitly protect the "fair use" privilege which makes this open exchange of scientific information possible. * Chill free speech in universities and research labs. The terminology used in the Bill, including "willfully" and "for profit," are not defined; it is unclear what the parameters of a criminally prosecutable copyright infringement are. As a result, it is likely that many institutions will mandate that all copyrighted documents be removed from the net to avoid having to defend copyright infringement prosecutions. We hope that you will veto this measure and ask your staff to work with Congress during the next session to develop more sensible legislation. Sincerely, Dr. Barbara Simons Chair, U.S. Public Policy Committee Association For Computing The Association for Computing (ACM) is the largest and oldest professional association of computer scientists in the United States. ACM's U.S. Public Policy Committee (USACM) facilitates communication between computer scientists and policy makers on issues of concern to the computing community. cc: Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. Ira Magaziner, Senior Adviser to President Brian Kahin, Office of Science Technology and Public Policy. Henry J. Hyde, Chair, House Judiciary Committee John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee Howard Coble, Chair, Courts and Intellectual Property Subcommittee, House Judiciary Committee Orrin G. Hatch, Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick J. Leahy, Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee John Ashcroft, Chair, Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights Subcommittee, Senate Judiciary Committee Mike DeWine, Chair, Antitrust, Business Rights and Competition Subcommittee, Senate Judiciary Comittee Representative Virgil H. Goode Representative Barney Frank, House Judiciary Committee Representative Christopher Cannon, House Judiciary Committee Representative William Delahunt, House Judiciary Committee Representative Elton Gallegly, House Judiciary Committee Representative Bob Clement

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NEW TRAVEL INFO -- Togo (fwd)
by Jim Choate 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Forwarded message: >From owner-travel-advisories(a)stolaf.edu Wed Nov 26 03:44:15 1997 Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 11:27:10 -0500 From: owner-travel-advisories <owner-travel-advisories(a)stolaf.edu> Subject: NEW TRAVEL INFO -- Togo Sender: Wally Doerge <76702.1202(a)compuserve.com> To: travel-advisories(a)stolaf.edu Message-ID: <199711241131_MC2-2974-E60C(a)compuserve.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Precedence: bulk STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Togo ============================================================ Togo - Consular Information Sheet June 20, 1997 Country Description: Togo is a small west African nation with a developing economy. Tourism facilities are limited, especially outside Lome, the capital city. Entry Requirements: A passport and visa are required. Proof of yellow fever immunization is required. Travelers should obtain the latest information and details from the Embassy of the Republic of Togo, 2208 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008. The telephone number is (202) 234-4212. Overseas inquiries should be made at the nearest Togo embassy or consulate. Areas of Instability: Togo has experienced periodic violence and strikes over the past five years. Although the situation has been calm since 1994, the potential exists for unsettled political conditions. Medical Facilities: Medical facilities in Togo are limited. Some medicines are available through local pharmacies. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health care services. U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. The Medicare/ Medicaid program does not provide for payment of medical services outside the United States. Travelers have found supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas and medical evacuation coverage to be useful. For additional health information, travelers can contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's international travelers hotline at (404) 332-4559. Internet: http://www.cdc.gov. Information on Crime: Pickpocketing and theft is common, especially along the beach and in the market areas of Lome. There has been an increase in the reports of carjacking. Business fraud stemming from Nigerian scam operations target Americans and pose dangers of financial loss and physical harm. Persons contemplating business deals in Togo with individuals promoting investment in Nigeria, especially the Central Bank of Nigeria or the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, are strongly urged to check with the U.S. Department of Commerce or the U.S. Department of State before providing any information, making financial commitments, or traveling to Togo. The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to local police and to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The pamphlets "A Safe Trip Abroad" and "Tips for Travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa" provide useful information on protecting personal security while traveling abroad and on travel in the region in general. Both are available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Drug Penalties: U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the country in which they are traveling. In Togo, the penalties for possession, use or trafficking in illegal drugs are strictly enforced. Convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines. Road Safety/Automobile Travel: Intercity roads are generally paved; however, conditions are poor and dangerous. Overland travel off the main network of roads generally requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. Poorly-marked armed checkpoints, often manned by undisciplined soldiers, exist throughout the country. Nighttime travel on unfamiliar roads is dangerous. Banditry, ranging from extortion by security forces to armed robbery, has been reported on all major intercity highways, including the Lome-Cotonou coastal highway. Credit Card Usage: Not all major credit cards are accepted in Togo. Travelers planning to use credit cards should be aware which cards are accepted before they commit to any transaction. Embassy Location/Registration: U.S. citizens are encouraged to register with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy at the intersection of Rue Polisher Caventou and Rue Vauban, Lome, telephone (228) 21-29-91, and to obtain updated information on travel and security in Togo. The Embassy's fax is (228) 21-79-52 and the mailing address is B.P. 852, Lome. No. 97-106 This replaces the Consular Information Sheet dated May 3, 1996, to update information on entry requirements and provide information on credit card usage. ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- The "travel-advisories(a)stolaf.edu" mailing list is the official Internet and BITNET distribution point for the U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets. To unsubscribe, send a message containing the word "unsubscribe" to: travel-advisories-request(a)stolaf.edu Archives of past "travel-advisories" postings are available at the URL: "http://www.stolaf.edu/network/travel-advisories.html" or via Gopher: gopher.stolaf.edu, Internet Resources/US-State-Department-Travel-Advisories

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Re: The Policeman Inside
by Greg Broiles 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Kent Crispin wrote: >The whole notion of "the policeman inside" is stupid sloganeering. Of >*course* we have a policeman inside -- we have something that tells us >(at least some of us) that murder, theft, and dishonesty are >behaviors to be avoided. We have something that tells us (some of us) >it would be foolish to make a habit of running red lights. "The policeman inside" is neither a conscience nor an instinct towards self-preservation. I'm familiar with the term being used to refer to the internalization of a system of external rules, coupled with a belief in pervasive surveillance and/or the adoption of the viewpoint of an external supervisor, such that one with a "policeman inside" learns to fear punishment at every moment and in every situation. See, for example, Bentham's Panopticon or Foucault's _Discipline & Punish_ for more on the topic. Also, you may note that two of the three terms you used as examples of "wrong" behavior themselves imply judgments and a moral position - "theft" and "murder". Whether or not the taking of a physical thing is "theft" can be a complex question, that has a lot to do with contracts and agreements and socially constructed ideas about property. Similarly, "murder" is (to adopt a broad definition) an unlawful and intentional homicide - which, again, presupposes certain judgements about relationships between people. It's easy to say that "theft and murder are wrong", because wrongness is part of the meaning of the terms "theft" and "murder". It's much less satisfying to say something like "it's wrong to take things that someone else thinks they own, unless they're mistaken or you have a superior claim" or "it's wrong to shoot someone who didn't deserve to be shot". It's the creation of a "policeman inside" which causes people to lose their ability to make judgements about which people (if any) ought to be shot and which people deserve to keep their stuff. And that loss of the ability (cognitive and moral) is, I think, a direct cause of the very crimes (theft and murder) you mention. -- Greg Broiles | US crypto export control policy in a nutshell: gbroiles(a)netbox.com | Export jobs, not crypto. http://www.io.com/~gbroiles | http://www.parrhesia.com

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No Subject
by bureau42 Anonymous Remailer 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

May Timothy C[ocksucker] Maya's forgeries get stuck up his ass so he'll have to shit through his filthy mouth for the rest of its miserable life. /~~~\ {-O^O-} Timothy C[ocksucker] Maya \ o / (-)

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PGP 5.0 ConsensuS?? -- is it usable?
by goddesshera＠juno.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Do you think that it is a good idea to migrate from pgp 2.6.3 to pgp 5.0 now? This message was automatically remailed. The sender is unknown, unlogged, and nonreplyable. Send complaints and blocking requests to <goddesshera(a)juno.com>.

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Khristian Kult Killings
by Canadian Nutly News 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

[CANADIAN NUTLY NEWS-Bienfait, Saskatchewan]AN ASSORTMENT OF POLITCAL criminals from Washington, DC, held a press conference at the Coaldust Saloon last night, with the main topic of discussion being the gangland battles between rival Christian cults. Bill Clinton expressed dismay over secret intelligence reports that not only were the Christian gangs widely dispersed throughout the school system, but that there was evidence of involvement by many teachers and school administrators, as well. "Many of these cults have beliefs very similar to the Heaven's Gate cult, with their members involved in preparing to participate in an exiting of the physical plane in a similar manner, and the eventual overthrow of democratic government in all countries, led by their currently exiled guerilla leader." Lying Jackoff Fuck Louis J. Freeh stated that more crimes are committed in America by followers of the Christian cults than even the large number committed by people with Italian names. "The problem is enormous." Freeh stated. "Many of the children are committed to these gangs by their parents, almost from birth. It is not surprising that the kids seldom manage to escape the grip of these cults, even as adults." Murdering Nazi Cunt Janet Reno stated that BATF agents had informed her that Christian cult members throughout the U.S. were in possession of more weapons than members of the paramilitary. "The real threat of having weapons in these people's hands is that, like most paramilitary members, they don't regard the Federal government as being the supreme authority." Anonymous sources at the scene of the recent cult slaughter at a high school in Kentucky confirmed that several copies of a popular cult manifesto were found in the homes of both the shooter and the dead participants in the bizarre ritual. The manifesto, which is vastly more subversive and violent than books such as "The Turner Diaries," is often referred to by cult members in oblique coded-language as simply, "The Book." Bar maids and local drunks at the Coaldust Saloon denied the rumors that the book, known as the Word of God to most cult followers, was actually one of the early manuscripts of the author of 'The True Story of the InterNet,' and that 'God' was nothing more than a thinly veiled anagram for 'Dog', representing one of the author's many nefarious aliases. However, A Sorry Drunk To Be Named Later informed gathered reportwhores that if Christian cult members around the world sent their tithes, in cash, to PO Box 281, Bienfait, Saskatchewan, that they would be assured a space on the spaceship approaching earth in the shadow of comet Khrist-Bop-Shoo-Bop. (When pressed for details as to the time of arrival of the mythical space aliens worshipped by the cult, A Sorry Drunk To Be Named Later merely winked and said, "Let's just say that cult members will be swept up into another dimension on the same day as their computers.") Canadian Nutly News sources confirmed earlier today that the shooter in the ritual slaughter at the high school in Kentucky was wearing a T-shirt with a radical cult slogan often used to whip cult members into a violent frenzy, "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of Dog." ~sog~

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RE: Re: Censorial leftists (Was: Interesting article)
by jay holovacs 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

This post has a strange deja vu to it. I can remember back in the '60s when revolutionary wannabes would talk of the glorious peoples paradise while living in their comfortable suburban homes. How the workers' education system was open to all, no one was unemployed... Now it has come full circle. Singapore is capitalist, so loss of freedoms can be glossed over. Many of us on this list would already be subject to the law for postings critical of government. People are in jail for looking at Penthouse on the net. Here we worry about filtering in libraries, they have whole country filtering. We worry about hate speech codes, they prohibit anything 'promoting racial or religious disharmony' (don't publish the Bell Curve there..), what good is being able to afford a printing press when you need the government's permission to publish. A few years back, at least, there were pictures in the airport of approved haircuts, you could not enter the country if your style did not conform. No first amandment, no fourth, no fifth, and don't even think about getting a gun permit. It is amazing that people who are so offended by *government action* would gloss over a government that intrudes itself into so many areas of private life. We are appalled by those who would sell their freedoms for perceived safety. Is it less foolish to sell *fundamental* freedoms for a few bucks more income? Jay ========================== >From: frissell(a)panix.com >To: "J. Lasser" <jon(a)lasser.org> >Cc: fight-censorship(a)vorlon.mit.edu; cypherpunks(a)toad.com >Subject: Re: Censorial leftists (Was: Interesting article) >Date: Fri, Dec 5, 1997 5:31 AM > >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > >At 03:02 PM 12/4/97 -0500, J. Lasser wrote: > >>And Singapore survives quite well being a totalitarian capitalist >>society. Sure, you can pick nits and claim that Singapore's not entirely >>capitalist, but it's more capitalist than this country and certainly >>less free, too. >> >>The fact of the matter seems to me to be that most people are perfectly >>satisfied to be passive consumers. While they like to be free, that >>means free to make purchasing decisions. They also like to be safe, and >>if they have to lose civil liberties to be safe, then they're all for >>it. Just so long as they can buy what they want. That seems to me to >>describe the essence of the Singapore problem, and I'd bet it holds true >>for the U.S. (and many other places) as well. > >Forty years ago Singapore was poor and at risk of being wiped out by Malays >or Commies or both. (Maylays killed 1 Meg of their own Chinese in the '60s.) > I'm sure that a few decades of being rich and safe will engender in that >population a liking for social freedom. They are currently more economically >free than we are. We rate 5th and they are 2nd or 3rd on the two indices of >economic freedom. They have many personal freedoms as well. They have >speech restrictions but are quite outspoken in any case. The gum and >spitting and smoking restrictions are no different than the smoking bans and >such we are coming to live under. We have one-party rule too. > >DCF >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- >Version: PGP for Personal Privacy 5.0 >Charset: noconv > >iQCVAwUBNIdmioVO4r4sgSPhAQGt+AQAuKrTJTWfuUjDSNZO7l0ZyKFJ1UViAU+v >IsnmkcSoFSYok+1Etzo/x7t2z1wY9zVN5Smi2w2kzZRoymLS41LMZW7DvBEob7yw >Ur18j2fLdYG2hIkcXiAkQaTY96SYfmLRnIESc107Xtmgt00OTVBfDyi3QUbwID0v >349sPDAohIs= >=ceec >-----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > >

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Bad Cop, Worse Cop / Bum and Bummer / Re: CDT and the Threat of Gov't Intervention
by TruthMonger 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

David Honig wrote: > At 12:46 AM 12/3/97 -0500, Declan McCullagh wrote: > >Besides demonstrating that cyberporn is a topic that will never > >disappear, the Kids and the Net summit has highlighted the tensions > >between the different types of Net-advocacy groups here in Washington. > I'm sure the Feds are happy that their Good Cop (Clinton) / Bad Cop (Freeh) > routine is having the divisive effect they planned, and making sacrifices > seem acceptable. Yes, but Freeh is now positioning himself to be best pals with the incoming Republican President. Would _you_ vote for a politician whom the FBI Director has implied is part of a criminal tag-team that deserves investigation by a special prosecutor? A politician whose previous running mate was embroiled in WhiteWATER and FosterGATE at a time when hard evidence that a former president was GUILTY in WATER-GATE is coming to the fore? "Vote for the manipulated public image of your choice, but vote." Our 'democracy' is run by Information Management Engineers. Or so I would have you believe... TruthMonger

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