This is another thread only slightly related to cypherpunks.
Well go to some other forum, we don't need your kind around here. <just kidding, I'm only being sarcastic to make a point to some other readers>
I find the paranoid reaction to the "Religious Right" strange. Perhaps it is based on relying on the establishment media for a picture of it.
Someone against the "religious right" would probably say they (those in that group) are brainwashed. Those in the "religious right" would say they (anti-religion) are possessed. (other readers: please don't try to debate this, ok? I lived in a very religious town in Texas, so I know how they feel.)
Would you rely on such media to give you an accurate picture of what the government is doing with cryptography or of the need for gun control? The media picture of the Religious Right is just as distorted.
The axiom of Mass Media follows: "Print, Show, Or Speak What Will Bring In The Money." Most folks get kicks out of watching cults like the RR getting the bum rush, like most folks enjoy watching the accident scene. The Media plays no ideological favorites, it just gives the hungry masses what they want.
The right to encryption and the "right" to abortion don't have the same basis - encryption kills no one.
I disagree here (a lot is done in the name of national security/encryption which threatens innocent lives), but even I won't diverge this far from the intent of the cypherpunks forum to debate this. If you do want to carry this further, please drop me a line directly. -Alex Reynolds (chrome@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu)