At 6:39 PM 12/7/95, E. ALLEN SMITH wrote:
I suspect I know what organizations they're interested in (CPUSA et al), but did they ask about any specific organizations?
CPUSA? You mean "CypherPunks USA"? I agree that being on the Cypherpunks list is probably a serious threat to one's security clearance. After all, the things we talk about are destabilizing to governments, are conducive to creating open channels for releasing material anyone thinks is useful to be released, and even makes espionage trivial. (We seldom mention this, it being old hat, but the Aldrich Ames' of the world need no longer resort to archaic tradecraft such as leaving messages in Coke cans in the crooks of trees--digital dead drops are as close as your nearest PGP package and remailer. This is a revolution in espionage--not that I am advocating or condoning it, although it is often necessary and even moral.) Given that many of us take an explicitly trans-national approach, with little or no loyalty to local and national governments, and given that many of us advocate a Nietzschean kind of personal choice in deciding which laws to obey and which to ignore, our outlook is probably as dangerous to secret programs as membership in the Communist Party would be (especially these days, where membership in the CP would be seen as either a sign of slow thinking or quaintness). --Tim May Views here are not the views of my Internet Service Provider or Government. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^756839 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."