I want to thank both Mike Alissi, (malissi@reason.com) Publisher of
Reason Magazine and David Nott (davidn@reason.org) President, Reason
Foundation who each sent me a copy of Jacob Sullum's October 16, 2001
essay "Fear of Prying" http://www.reason.com/sullum/101601.html.
Which I then sent to the subscribers of Freematt's Alerts (10,000+)
and to several other mailing lists yesterday.
Mr. Sullum writes: "Boston Globe columnist Cathy Young, a colleague
of mine at Reason magazine, has confessed that "the idea of people
being able to encrypt electronic communications so that they are
beyond surveillance" has always seemed "scary" to her, "precisely
because of the threat of terrorism." This is like saying that
computers or telephones or airplanes or box cutters are scary. Any
technology can be used for good or ill. The question is whether the
potential for evil justifies restrictions on legitimate uses."
And Sullum ends with: "Misuse of official records is not exactly
unheard of in this country, and the problem would be magnified if
every unsavory regime that has enlisted in the war on terrorism were
to be trusted with the keys to its citizens' e-mail. For the
dissidents Phil Zimmermann is rightly proud of helping, the whole
point of encryption is to guard against official surveillance."
I was somewhat surprised and disturbed that Reason would publish
Cathy Young's original article that appeared first in the Boston
Globe, September 19, 2001 and then on Reason Online
http://www.reason.com/cy/cy092401.html. I think Freematt's Alerts
subscriber Charles Platt , the distinguished science
fiction author and senior writer at WIRED Magazine had the best
response when he wrote:
"Bad enough that a contributing editor to Reason should indulge in
the cliche-ridden handwringing of a statist apologist; far worse that
these less-than-cerebral platitudes should be disseminated via an
establishment publication, where Ms. Young is liable to be seen as a
libertarian emissary.
To Cathy Young: All systems entail risk. As has just been
demonstrated, a government-run system for terrorism-prevention does
not eliminate risk. It only eliminates the superficial appearance of
risk. This is far more dangerous than an honest approach in which
risk is recognized and individuals are encouraged to deal with it
instead of running to their elected representatives and asking to be
protected.
"A free society is not a suicide pact"? No, it's a matter of
principle, and of courage. I really think you should reconsider your
political affiliations.
--Charles Platt
Senior Writer, Wired magazine"
For better or worse Reason Magazine is viewed as a
libertarian/freemarket publication. The magazine has in the last
decade doubled it's circulation to over 60,000 which places it over
conservative publications such as the Weekly Standard and nearly that
of the liberal New Republic. See Columbus Dispatch Metro Columnist
Steve Stephens's October 15, 2001 column
"The Voice of 'Reason' Lives In Small Ohio Town" where he interviews
Reason's editor Nick Gillespie See:
<http://libpub.dispatch.com/cgi-bin/documentv1?DBLIST=cd01&DOCNUM=4493
2&TERMV=31160:11:>
I'm optimistic that Reason won't lose it's way and veer away from
their libertarian roots and I might add that Jacob Sullum's article
is a step in the right and libertarian direction.
Regards, Matt Gaylor-
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