-- On 6 Aug 2001, at 10:13, Ray Dillinger wrote:
Offhand, I'd estimate that if three US remops were taken down forcefully, and the federal law looked as though any other could be, all but two or three hardcases would cease operating remailers in the USA. That would wipe out well over 70% of the remailers, leaving a very small universe indeed to monitor.
If the government decides to crack down on any one activity, and harm any particular small group of people, it is likely to have a large effect on that activity, and cause considerable harm to those people. If, however, the government decides to crack down on lots of activities, and harm lots of people, it is unlikely to succeed. Right now the government is cracking down on lots and lots of activities, and lashing out at lots and lots of people, with predictable results. To be effectual against remailers, the government would have to give them priority over lots of other people that the government wants to harm. There is a big big queue of people to be whacked who are not being whacked, and only finite resources to whack them. If the government moves remailers nearer to the top of its priorities, someone else gets moved back away from the top. --digsig James A. Donald 6YeGpsZR+nOTh/cGwvITnSR3TdzclVpR0+pr3YYQdkG MATT5Iy6h/FaowiQwNJm0qWfplP7ymQoeXaSY9kS 4w7niDzXVgD680AVmm/BlEoMXN+0I7nHUwRXzKrrV