---------- From: Duncan Frissell[SMTP:frissell@panix.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 1996 8:42 AM To: cypherpunks@toad.com Subject: Weapons & Hope While it might be barely possible in the mass production age to control weapons by blocking the flow of these specific products (a Streetsweeper, say) into the marketplace, it will clearly not be possible in the age of custom production. General machines will be available to produce specialized products (often under the direct control of the customer, himself). Some of this custom production will be weapons. I took machine tool operations @ my local community college. suffice it to say, good, high-quality firearms are **EASY** to fabricate (Believe me!) So my point is this: Just as the Gov't CANNOT prevent me from making a gun in my basement, whats to stop some high-school juinor from writing a strong crypto program? I can just see Chuckie Schumer introducing (W/ Sen. Fine-Swine as co-sponor) a bill to ban "Cyberwar Software" i.e. mandatory registration of compilers, mandatory GAK, etc... What an asshole. Take care, Eric