At 7:58 PM -0700 6/30/97, Declan McCullagh wrote:
Ah, but what is a market except voluntary transactions between people? What is good for the market is good for the people.
I certainly agree with this, if the proper interpretations of terms are made. Unfortunately, there is a growing distinction being made between "voluntary transactions" of _people_ and of _corporations_. (The most stunning example of this, as Declan of course knows, being the "Title 7" stuff in the Civil Rights Act, which takes away a person's right to associtate with persons with whom he wishes to associate--he can't choose to hire only Chinese, or no cripples, or only Mormons, and so on.) And in the crypto debate, the term "market" has mostly been interpreted by people to mean: Netscape, Microsoft, PGP, RSADSI, C2net, Verisign, etc. I don't believe corporations have any more rights--or any more restrictions--than individuals do. So in this sense I agree with Declan's point. But my view is in a minority. Thus, care is warranted when discussing "market solutions." --Tim May There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws. Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!" ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^1398269 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."