"Messer im Kopf" is a German film made in 1978 which I highly recommend. Roughly translated its title is "Knife in the Head". It has relevance to many of the issues we have been discussing. In the late 1970s Germany was in a limited state of turmoil due to fears of "terrorist" (1) groups, particularly the Baader-Meinhoff gang. Around this time a curious incident occurred. The German government had had some success in apprehending some gang leaders. In response, the others hijacked a Lufthansa jet and demanded that the government release their friends. Four of the leaders of the gang then died in prison. The government declared these deaths to be suicides, but considerable doubt surrounds this claim. The government certainly wanted to discourage further hijacking experiments. The elimination of the gang leaders would certainly have sent a strong message. The logic is compelling. On the other hand, it is not inconceivable that the deaths were suicides intended to discredit the government. The Baader-Meinhoff gang popped up again in the late 1980s when they were suspected of having murdered the banker Alfred Herrhausen. (At that time their name had changed, but I do not remember what it was.) Their size was estimated to be about 20 active members with perhaps 3000 financial supporters. (2) Many other European trouble-making groups of the 1970s were successfully penetrated and virtually eliminated. The Baader-Meinhoff gang stands out as one which apparently solved this problem. (It is interesting that infiltration is the usual means of dealing with troublesome organizations.) The motivations of the group are unclear to me. It is widely assumed in the media that they were (or are) communists, but I have seen it suggested repeatedly that they were in fact sympathetic to the far right. (I haven't researched this. I do not know how open this question is.) "Terrorist" groups are interesting in that they generally do not have a known membership or location. Certainly, this is germane to many Cypherpunk discussions. In the late 1970s the German government considerably extended its surveillance and monitoring activities and was generally in a state of alarm regarding terrorists. Great effort was made to identify everybody. I can't say how much success they had in their stated goals, but I would love to know as it relates to some of the ideas we have been discussing. I assume the "security" infrastructure is still in place, which does not bode well for future German history. The film is set in the late 1970s and addresses many of the issues faced by Germans at that time. The main character is a scientist who is having marital troubles. His life becomes more complicated when he gets caught up in a scuffle the police are having with "suspected terrorists". He is shot - not knifed - in the head. After a long rehabilitation, he has no memory of what occurred. Every other person in the film attempts to use his ignorance for their own political or personal ends. More specifics would lessen your appreciation of the movie. More generally, you will see a portrayal of a society which is disentegrating. I found the police particularly alarming. It is not clear whether our own society is not on the same path. Some will find this heightens their interest. The grimness of institutionalized behavior comes through very strongly. Nearly every character in the film is employed directly or indirectly by the government. The film itself was funded by the German government. Yet, it is surprisingly skeptical of the government's role. It should be noted that there are no real terrorists in the film. The police and the "suspected terrorists" are playing a game of "cops and robbers" with the police holding the live ammunition. Don't think both sides don't both enjoy it! This is perhaps the most worthwhile aspect of the film. While everybody else is playing games, the main character is maimed, but the game goes on regardless. Many of has have had long discussions involving the implications of various technologies and how to effect the our kind of political change in the world. It is helpful to remember that real people are involved. The readers of this list are by no means the people who would benefit most from this lesson. "To win without fighting is best." -- Sun Tzu(?) That said, the film also gives a feeling for what it might be like to operate in a hostile domestic environment. The film is hard to get in the United States. Last I heard, you could rent it from a company in Chicago. If there is sufficient interest, it might be a good film for Cypherpunk Movie Night. An invited speaker who understands the film better than I do would be a possibility. Footnotes: (1) These groups committed acts which are typically described as "terrorist". It is unclear what the term means. When similar actions are committed by established groups, the term "terrorism" is not applied. The term originated at the time of the French revolution when some philosopher kings seized control of the government and executed a number of VIPs. The Economist published this excellent article: http://www.economist.com/issue/02-03-96/sf1.html (2) The IRA is said to have about 200 active members, which is an indication of just how much trouble a small group of people can make if they set their minds to it. Disclaimer: Some of the facts above may be slightly wrong as I am relying on memory. The gist of the text should be correct. Peter Hendrickson ph@netcom.com