I sent this to you privately, because I did not want a public war. You've chosen to bring it to the list anyway. What you've written below appears to be quite nonsequitur, but I suppose one can guess the upshot. Many governments are quite braindead, when it comes to crypto, yes. I will reiterate: many governments are also quite braindead, when it comes to demonstrating reasonably accurate "metaknowledge", when it comes to having a clue about just how certain something really is. I obviously applaud your efforts to free crypto. I obviously deplore your efforts to fight crypto in the manner of the ugliest of politicians, and find it quite hypocritical that you've suggested that in so doing, you are -avoiding- arguments of those who seek to destroy you. I believe it is quite clear, you're arguing against yourself: your methods are very much those of the ones who "seek to destroy you.", and to the extent that this is true, I'd say they -have- destroyed you. Note that I have seen/noticed no example of this from you - only that you have -stated- that things should be phrased in a quite B&W manner for political advantage. Were you seeking to make things messier, when you brought this to the list without asking first? Julian Assange wrote:
How many of the world's stupid policies have been enacted, because someone decided to present only one side of an issue, realized it was "the wrong side", and felt they couldn't later change their mind for the better - because they presented the issue as overly black-and-white initially?
I agree, however you are confusing large parties, so dominant as to form government and policy at whim with those that represent a particular cause or interest group. The EFF falls into the latter category. Its goals are relatively narrow, its membership tiny. Such a small group, fighting under-resourced battle against powerful, conservative interests does not need, and should not espouse the arguments of those who seek to destroy it. When Canoing up a waterful, one does not need to paddle backwards 50% of the time in order to be "fair".