hallam@w3.org writes:
The problem with Chaum's work is that it is unbalanced. He considers only the privacy aspect. The prevention of extortion aspect he does not consider. DigiCash have never addressed the baby-napping protocol problem as far as I am aware.
DigiCash as defined makes it trivial to trace cash you give to someone provided there is collusion between the payer and the bank. Doesn't that solve the baby-napping problem? Incidently, so far as I know, there is no physical world way to solve the babynapping problem. Hell, you can just demand a case with five kilos of gold in it if $50,000 in cash doesn't suit your tastes. I defy governments to eliminate gold as well as paper currency.
Governments have certain rights in our society that individuals do not. This is justified by their being democratically accountable.
Lets not get into a polititical discussion, but many of us here would deny the legitimacy of authoritarianism simply on the basis that a majority of the tiny minority that votes decided to vote for it. .pm