December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: dbts: The Economic Cause of Privacy
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>Remember, the reason we have no financial privacy these days is because we >have book-entry settlement, which relies on biometric identity, known physical >location, and the force of a nation state as the ultimate "error-handler" to >prevent repudiation in the transaction protocol. Yes, and cars break down because there are service shops. Utter nonsense. There is no financial privacy because because those who would like such thing have less power (hired guns) than those who would not like it. And those with controlling interests in modern societies do not like it because control would be lost, and population harvesting (aka taxing) would have to be radically changed, and that is expensive. The system is self-supporting. Idea that somehow smart algorithms will bring financial privacy is a good starting point for cryptoaddict's wet dream, but in reality has the same chance of success as survival rate of armed citizens against the government. Zero. (However, brandishing weapons and algorithms may alleviate some acute distress caused by excess testosterone levels :) Use of government-controlled, issued and supervised payment methods/instruments is in place because it is proscribed, not because "money/checks, etc. exist". Money is a highly artificial entity in the first place. It is "natural" to use currency-binded valuation as it is natural to go to church. And theorizing on money and economy in general has similarities to religious rituals. Therefore constructing computer-assisted anon payment schemes "because it is cheaper that way" is pointless. Money is not there to make your life easier. Money exists so that you can be taxed and conditioned to desired behaviour at minimal cost. Anonymous payments defy the principal reason money exists for, and is sanctioned (and enforced) by the state. The only way for society (or loosely coupled individuals) to function without abstractions like money (that need organized gun power to maintain) is direct exchange of goods and services with enforcement based on close relationships between parties. Has been tried, several thousand years ago, and such societies were annihilated by others who did organize. Which seems to be the fate of any anarchism in general. Barnmen

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NSA Info Sought
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

An international television corporation seeks current or former National Security Agency employees and/or military members willing to provide information on the NSA base at Menwith Hill, England, and other operations of the US's global electronic surveillance and interception program. E-Mail: jy(a)jya.com JYA/Urban Deadline 251 West 89th Street, Suite 6E New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-873-8700 Fax: 212-799-4003 Anonymous and encrypted messages welcome. -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: PGPfreeware 5.5.2 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com> mQGiBDUT1GoRBAD96qrjqMjIZK30XrvsEgsDssidjh4gjxoM3XZwYvjuNqohFUYC W6ktcjtHkITXeCP0leprRByF4LIZZp75JrR/FODnpELnTQwzQ03kD/OTRBl+m2ED /3N4T29KwwKdvEvfoKgJ8UYrAb4nS5F7W26kiKAIslpIIKBSdMCWszoBRwCg/ydS 4PuvY6YJMbHc3Ir0OpW9NZ8EANM9K1c7OKDOQEriJOtYqlwd//qKP2GQLvq7Kdel /fjZRKBDW3vRRJZvNkTpMN44eRz2wJxuQh1Jjqj/RWO7+KkeJF1ftVhWcC3kzmBa 7HX2CXmFX2Y+/Fqk1nyzDh2hD5nDidYS4uDMgNfAKs8WBVqWY9l9rHmX3LvoKIUP WYGWBADFmYF5n+6LMwnrEWJb3/G/LPTz8bupjZAX3pk7JAysJjwet1ZRfN356RuF 8p4ia4BY8evpmwG0ICW0skrzPf6EelOGef7RpQN+4CSTHaF2lsMe4PFfQSI9c7lP vGG74byiiR7V9BpWR6yhsB18FZhrCXkp44HQTFEbqbDbKwB3krQdSm9obiBZb3Vu ZyA8anlhQHBpcGVsaW5lLmNvbT6JAEsEEBECAAsFAjUT1GoECwMCAQAKCRCDRF/O eTbvYJ2pAJ0cPHIxXi8h0tbgWOH9NgPof7uH7QCfee3M2/PHjS59s5KTLHi1qrHu O+m5Ag0ENRPUaxAIAPZCV7cIfwgXcqK61qlC8wXo+VMROU+28W65Szgg2gGnVqMU 6Y9AVfPQB8bLQ6mUrfdMZIZJ+AyDvWXpF9Sh01D49Vlf3HZSTz09jdvOmeFXklnN /biudE/F/Ha8g8VHMGHOfMlm/xX5u/2RXscBqtNbno2gpXI61Brwv0YAWCvl9Ij9 WE5J280gtJ3kkQc2azNsOA1FHQ98iLMcfFstjvbzySPAQ/ClWxiNjrtVjLhdONM0 /XwXV0OjHRhs3jMhLLUq/zzhsSlAGBGNfISnCnLWhsQDGcgHKXrKlQzZlp+r0ApQ mwJG0wg9ZqRdQZ+cfL2JSyIZJrqrol7DVekyCzsAAgIIANDxYVQYe4ZXIS8pYMT5 RyCM1IH8Zl2D29Dem3DpaR8nIaaV7S3MqtQ78m0dH2ae5GeyVEmNl1Hbr0N2SHzi tmAMHqU2wriYsWuczFO+55Qman924+0LHJTykpj6LIzs7C426hkj23nuDc4m4y4n p8wCLg8f4ySWwDHdFNgydRwcgC6M8Z5HqFeCsUFX5KPbZjxmMyD+jzoeKSKtju4D MqTMvbotVDycnjB4P2aXEas1iie4irlgB/bNsQCFQY3KdTJsCkb70KwaK+eAzo5Y iXXREZqK9XsIR65AG5B6jenwziwrTEirCtqDs4gqBt54X/IeKIjJDIYwTmUyxIcW GK2JAEYEGBECAAYFAjUT1GsACgkQg0Rfznk272D76gCg/LOtMsq7I0NnuEp3qr/I qKmOJngAoNPsyKKflQrPkA6LAJfFXVRmRSdx =KgPx -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

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We spy for you
by Theodor.SCHLICKMANN＠BXL.DG13.cec.be 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/middle.phtml?channel=netzwelt&rub=02&cont=th…

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Re: "We have to destroy privacy in order to protect privacy"
by Theodor.SCHLICKMANN＠BXL.DG13.cec.be 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Slogan in the Subject used by Tim May. http://www.metromail.com/ sold for 845 Mio $. business: collecting and selling personal data from open sources. T. Schlickmann

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Re: PRNGs and testers.
by Michael Motyka 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>Hi, > > A few questions on Pseudo Random Number Generators... > > 1. Which are the best software PRNG's available today? > > 2. Are there any software implementations to test the randomness of a > PRNG ? I've looked at Diehard - is there anything else? > I found Bruce Schneier's paper on PRNGs at http://www.counterpane.com somewhat eye-opening.

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NOW! Talk of the Nation is discussing lack of reporting of certain news topics
by Ernest Hua 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Please try to call in between 12:00 and 1:00pm Pacific time to Talk of the Nation (1-800-989-TALK [8255]) to ask to talk about the lack of reporting on the EU's scuttled discussion of Echelon and NSA/FBI world wide spying! Ern

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RE: RE: IP: Fwd: Evaluation of Vehicle Stopping Prototype ("Kill Switch")
by Michael Motyka 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Kevin, Like it or not our society needs a police force. They have a dangerous and difficult job and I would never contend that the they should risk their lives unnecessarily. Furthermore, the 'suspect's' behavior is not defensible. But anyone who classifies a DOG as a HUMAN is DANGEROUS to other humans. > Definitely manslaughter, probably 2nd or even 1st degree murder. In That's FUCKING NUTS. Take the word manslaughter apart. int Screwball_Disney_Justice( int victim ){ int penalty; switch ( victim ){ case DOG : case MAN : penalty = ( MAX_PENALTY | BANKRUPTCY ); break; default : // covers consentual violations penalty = BANKRUPTCY; break; } return penalty; } > (I believe) every state the union the penalty for shooting a police > dog is the same as shooting an on duty police officer. Police dogs > are effectively classified as deputies. There are so many damn laws that anyone can be destroyed whenever the powers that be decide they're inconvenient. So you think a human should go to the gas chamber for killing a dog? Has the constitutionality of this been tested in any recent cases? What about the punishment fitting the crime? A few thousand bucks for a dog vs. a human life? I like animals and I think they should be treated with some respect but they are not people. My opinion of the incident was formed by the treating of a dog as human and the human as animal. BTW - what is your opinion of recent proposed laws banning the use of horses and dogs as food? A) Common sense. B) How could you eat such nice, smart animals? C) Tyranny of the Disneyfied majority. D) Total Bullshit. E) Both C and D. IMHO - E. What about cockfights? It usually lasts about 5-15 seconds and the loser becomes lunch. There is no *significant* difference between buying the chicken at the grocery and a cockfight. If you say that the difference is one of enjoying the violence - grow up. Just because the violence on the grocery store shelf is individually wrapped for your convenience doesn't alter its nature. Maybe we need a new law - a license to eat meat. Anyone who doesn't go through a course on killing their own meat should not be issued a carnivore permit with different stamps for different animal foods. Before you write the rant off as rambling crap the theme is - moronic personification and lack of perspective. Fuck Walt Disney - Because he's been fucking with our heads for decades. Every girl a princess, every boy a prince, every creature a human soul trapped in an animal's body. Mike rant, rant, rant...

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RE: Women cannot commit rape?
by Matthew James Gering 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> "You get hard right now or I take this knife and cut your > balls off sloooowly! You have one minute." > > That is probably out in left field. I doubt it would > happen much. No, and I doubt it would work either. However any man who thinks they cannot be coerced into arousal by other (physical) means is terribly sexually naive. This is the problem with puritan judges. Some madam needs to tie him up and show him exactly how easy he could be raped -- that is if he's not impotent too. Matt

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Censored news topic censored ...
by Ernest Hua 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Dear TOTN at NPR, This is most distressing. I was one of the very first callers to your Talk of the Nation show today whose topic was relevant news reporting in the US. My topic was the lack of reporting on the FBI's last minute sneak of the roving wire tap proposal into the intelligence budget bill. I wanted Ray to talk about the editorial process and how these things get dropped on the floor as this item is extremely important to our democracy because it is an agency charged with protecting our Constitutional rights (the FBI) who is deliberately circumventing the democratic legislative process to pass a law which was sounded defeated two years ago in open debate. Ironically, my topic was censored, and I waited an hour, while other people wanted to discuss things like how they can vent about their divorce difficulties through the Monica Lewinsky scandal, only to be dropped in the end. Would any of the NPR staff or Mr. Suarez would like to explain just what happened here? Ern -------- Ernest Hua, TeraLogic Inc, 1300 Villa St, Mountain View, CA 94041 (650) 526-6064, hua(a)teralogic-inc.com

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U.S. Group Sues To Stop Internet Pornography Act
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/ts/story.html?s=v/nm/19981022/ts/porn_…

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