We've not "bowed out" on this bill, it's just not significant enough a threat (yet) to warrant stirring up a lot of activism about it - which would detract from the focus on the CDA and it's clones.

We'll be tracking this bill and will certain help form a campaign against it if it looks to be going anywhere. In the mean time, we're issuing an analysis of it, and will keep the net informed.

Sun Tzu in his classic _The Art of War_ says: "Therefore those who win every battle are not really skillful--those who render others armies helpless without fighting are the best of all. The superior militarist strikes while schemes are being laid. The next best is to attack alliances. The next best is to attack the army." "To unfailingly take what you attack, attack where there is no defense. For unfailingly secure defense, defend where there is no attack. So in the case of those who are skilled in attack, their opponents do not know where to defend. In the case of those skilled in the art of defense, their opponents do not know where to attack." "Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate. To advance irresistibly, push through their gaps. To retreat elusively, outspeed them." I am afraid that if those who favor network freedom to not apply Sun Tzu's principles we may be defeated. What are we doing to "attack while the schemes are being laid?" If we were to provoke opposition now in the beginning, it would create the impression that if the bill were to become a threat, then there would be furious opposition. We have a chance to win by indirection. But we are loosing it by inaction. Sun Tzu recommends the use of spies, but because the net civil liberties organizations are inactive, we are deprived of our spies. We do not even know which subcommittee it has been sent to. We do not know which Senators we should direct the pressure to. I am now making inquiries from here in Texas (through the offices of the Texas Senators) as to what subcommittee. But it may take a while. But this information should be easily available to organizations like EFF and VTW. It should be in an action alert so that people like me here in Texas do not have to search for it using non-optimal means. If anybody knows which subcommittee the bill has been sent to, please tell me. -- Paul Elliott Telephone: 1-713-781-4543 Paul.Elliott@hrnowl.lonestar.org Address: 3987 South Gessner #224 Houston Texas 77063

Let's read the bill and get ready for a fight. We should hold Grassley accountable for this next election. But we're spinning our wheels by acting against every bill that affects one of our issues.

-Shabbir

I'd agree with the gist of Shabbir's entire message, except the last sentence, which I think needs some qualification. Trying to fight every useful fight right now *is* counter-productive, because we're not at a stage yet where any of our organizations, or our coalitional meta-organization, can handle the load. And the grassroots activist infrastructure of the net can't handle it either. But, that's not the way it should be. We need to, and if we all work at it, we will, get to the state at which we can handle the load, and can fight all the good fights. Part of what's needed is, frankly, for folks like those reading this message to take a little time out from endless arguments on newsgroups and mailing lists, from all the entertainment and fund, and become a little more politically active so we can preserve the possibility of having any fun at all. How many of you are organizing groups like EF-Houston or VTW or SEA on a local or state basis? I don't imagine many virtual hands are raising. Hop to it folks. This is no a one-dimensional fight, it's three dimensional. You've got lobbying and national-level policy work being done, but local grassroots organizing via the net is still in a larval stage, and needs to be advanced. So does coordinated response to crap journalism and lack of serious coverage of the issues we find important. Get in touch if you're interested in helping start local groups. I'll keep a geographical list and try to put fairly close matches in contact with eachother. -- <A HREF="http://www.eff.org/~mech/"> Stanton McCandlish </A><HR><A HREF="mailto:mech@eff.org"> mech@eff.org </A><P><A HREF="http://www.eff.org/"> Electronic Frontier Foundation </A><P> Online Services Mgr.