-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- ...of "cypherpunks write code" doesn't anyone around here understand? Somewhere, as Aristotle might say, Antisthenes is laughing. The political mental masturbations of leftist cryptographic crypto-academicians don't actually amount to much, frankly. Of course, if you want to change the physics of eavesdropping (end-to-end encrypted VOIP is probably a good place to start, if not the best solution), then you have my complete attention. Bleating about laws, whether we have "a nation of laws" or not, doesn't work too much when there's an egregious surplus of same. Under those circumstances, no matter who's in charge, the law fucks you in the ass. Everything is illegal, and thus nothing is. As far as voting goes, no matter who you vote for, the government gets elected, as the old libertarian saw goes. Even if, as Twain wisecracked, history does rhyme instead of repeat, don't look for the Ballad of Tricky Dick Nixon -- or Slick Willie Clittin' -- to be recited in iambic pentameter from a Republican legislature anytime soon, and, since the Democrats don't actually have any *prescriptive* behavior available during a putative state of war -- or during a massive global increase in freedom and prosperity, for that matter -- that doesn't make the electorate laugh out loud, expect them to continue implode like crypto-marxist "social democrats" everywhere else in the world. (Okay. There's North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela. And Bolivia. Knock yourselves out.) Lex vincula justitiae, as Mr. Pullo might say... Cheers, RAH -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP Desktop 9.0.3 (Build 2932) iQEVAwUBQ6h0ecUCGwxmWcHhAQGfYAgAnbcYhHWTfw/h24SlSN/KWql9Rs7ZDJ4V hS/Hr0zWWHUtrU97Sd6/J2c4d/oLzNWrm/nhaH0deERKCOzpZP25ZJSYVk682KsV SP+b+GjC6yl5yo63JiSHiYrhWKYKy1t+/rtqSdEAzQIjeqZKnVlA6mVURDACfYiO 2V7p3Bsw2iXnQqnOMv1sDYeABoAvFj1gvdbg251rM2SfQLgVtjlXWm2q+38pcems /eFqvOHd2U696v6rE4+LVgh2ETQ/drVO8GEPQq33/S9oBvf5I2moXVwmkxgyPhHs DIW3II1JvdpzMWf6jdmGEZxIJrLdyyqzvO07LnHsYXE2rkCFbrqviQ== =vwdd -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
Holy Shit! Did you forward this Hettinga? It actually makes sense and is relevant! The fact that Bush's wiretapping might be technically "illegal" is of only marginal interest. Remember that some of our bandits have probably been getting this level of info through Echelon: Remember, it's not illegal for the Brits to spy on US citizens. Receiving such info from our Limey bandits pals is probably only marginally illegal at best. The only thing "new" here is that there are new subgroups of bandits with the info now obtained through conventional channels, probably more local, and who aren't too afraid to reveal that they have it. Thus look for arrests of various troublemakers and big-mouths whereas NSA probably woud have been mum unless absolutely necessary, and even though only through a careful process that didn't indicate how they got the info (thus precluding general bigmouth roundups). Of course, this does have some practical implications. Time to update the hardware... -TD
Bleating about laws, whether we have "a nation of laws" or not, doesn't work too much when there's an egregious surplus of same. Under those circumstances, no matter who's in charge, the law fucks you in the ass. Everything is illegal, and thus nothing is.
As far as voting goes, no matter who you vote for, the government gets elected, as the old libertarian saw goes.
participants (2)
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R. A. Hettinga -
Tyler Durden