I'm reading a book, "Who Will Tell the Truth" with some very clear insights into How it All Works. The bottom line is the Bottom Line and the reason the crypto debate is going this way is due to exactly one thing: Money. I know there are those amongst this readership who feel that there is no place for the usual political process in dealing with the crypto issues, but that's not a universal or a given, nor is it necessarily practical in the long run. But within the existing structure the missing component in the debate is the active participation of a lot of dollars. The weight of Micro$osft + Netscape + (name your favorite list) is miniscule, and their players woefully inexperienced, compared to McDonnell D., G.E. Fed., TRW., Lock/Martin, IBM, and others who stand to gain hugely from a Federally-mandated and controlled PKI. Those heavyweights are all drinking buddies with the other Washington sorts who are in search of ever-expanding missions in life, and the result is a coterie who's primary interest isn't even remotely concerned with Child Pornography, Money Laundering, etc. but their own aggrandizement measured in personal and corporate dollars. There are no doubt massive investments being made by Industry in the conservative thinktanks who produce the intellectual fodder-de-jour that supports the position of this elite, and overwhelm the likes of McCain and Kerrey with impossible-for-the-legislature-to-understand managed "information" which boils it all down to the 4 Horsemen arguments. What's necessary here is a knowledgeable application of the same techniques, a coalition organization comprised of large business interests with an awareness of how Bad this all is, competing on the same turf. Noble anarchist or Constitutional arguments, whining about our Rights and such, are insignificant and irrelevant to the players. Who will belly up to the bar and provide leadership on terms that will truly be effective? ======================================================= At 10:16 AM 6/21/97 -0700, Tim May wrote:
The "Meeting of the Eight," formerly the G7, is happening in Denver. Listening to what's coming out of it, it's apparent that the Four Horsemen are front and center. Clinton is speaking of a network of banking and communications policy coordinators, to detect and halt drug dealing, money laundering, and nuclear terrorism.
This fits with the details of reports about global wiretapping efforts, about joint intelligence activities, and, of course, with the OECD/GAK laws being proposed, passed, and about to be signed into law about "Key Recovery" and "Trusted Third Parties."
The fix is in.
It probably won't be long before Stronghold is barred for export from either Britain or RSA (the other one); both Tony Blair and Nelson Mandela are Friends of Bill, so a few phone calls should take care of that little problem. (And Norway and the other Scandinavian countries are part of the global wiretap agreement, so I rather doubt free export of PGP 5.x code out of Norway will be feasible, despite the OCR effort now underway there.)
(Not that Clinton will mention Stronghold to Blair...that's far too much microdetail. Jimmy Carter might have gotten involved at that level, but not Bill. Details will be left to underlings.)
The call to Japan, probably the visit by David Aaron, stopped NTT's plans for exporting the RSA chip.
Anguilla and other "offshore" havens, will be subject to the same kinds of pressure. Mark my words.
It's not hopeless. Physical havens are vulnerable, to all sorts of pressures (I doubt many cryptographers want to set up shop in Libya or Iraq, not that these places would be hospitable to Cypherpunks sorts of goals and methods).
Going underground, using the untraceable features of cyberspace, may be the last, best hope.
--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."