This is a good, creative response to fascist technology, but I wonder if I'm the only one on this list who's noticed a parallel between the government's attitude toward small arms & its attitude approach to cryptography?

I am glad that someone is finally mentioning this. The parallels are quite clear. Both small arms and crypto can give the people protection from criminals, while at the same time decreasing the citizens need for government. If everybody would be armend, we would no longer look at the government as the sole provider of protectios from violent crimes, rape, or muggings. If everyone used crypto, we would no longer have to rely on ineffecive laws that prohibit the reading of someone elses mail or listening to someone elses phone conversations. The laws against both eavesdropping and violent crimes do not seem to deter the perpetrators. Consequently, the helpless citizen demands a steped up surveilance of potential "criminals," while offering less privacy in return. Similarily, an individual facing armed criminals on the street often asks for stronger gun contoll. The government is all too willing to grant this wish, since it knows that the unarmed citizen believes that he is unable to exist without the protection (read: controll) of the government. -- Marc