MSNBC poll on crypto
Should the United States remove restrictions on the export of powerful encryption technology? * 283 responses Unequivocally yes (84.1%) Yes, but only if law enforcement is given the keys to break the encryption when necessary. (9.9%) No, maintain the status quo. (1.8%) No. In fact, the restrictions should be tightened. (4.2%)
At 5:55 PM -0800 5/15/97, Declan McCullagh wrote:
Should the United States remove restrictions on the export of powerful encryption technology?
* 283 responses
Unequivocally yes (84.1%)
You left out the very next question: Should the United States allow unbreakable, military-grade cryptography to be used undetectably by child pornographers, terrorists, and money launderers? * 283 responses Unequivocally "No" (93.4%) You see, it all depends on how the question is asked. I have long argued that Americans are split, simultaneously, between two opposing world views: "What have you got to hide?" and "None of your damned business." Depending on the issue, or how the issue is phrased, either view may surface. I certainly don't trust opinion polls. If MSNBC conducts a similar poll after an Oklahoma City type of event, which we all have reason to suspect is about to happen in the next six or seven months, and crypto is found to be involved (seems likely), we can expect an opinion poll which arrives at the "What have they got to hide" conclusion. So? --Tim May There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws. Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!" ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^1398269 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- In <v03007806afa1921a6fd1@[207.167.93.63]>, on 05/15/97 at 10:32 PM, Tim May <tcmay@got.net> said:
At 5:55 PM -0800 5/15/97, Declan McCullagh wrote:
Should the United States remove restrictions on the export of powerful encryption technology?
* 283 responses
Unequivocally yes (84.1%)
You left out the very next question:
Should the United States allow unbreakable, military-grade cryptography to be used undetectably by child pornographers, terrorists, and money launderers?
* 283 responses
Unequivocally "No" (93.4%)
You see, it all depends on how the question is asked. I have long argued that Americans are split, simultaneously, between two opposing world views:
"What have you got to hide?"
and
"None of your damned business."
Depending on the issue, or how the issue is phrased, either view may surface.
I certainly don't trust opinion polls. If MSNBC conducts a similar poll after an Oklahoma City type of event, which we all have reason to suspect is about to happen in the next six or seven months, and crypto is found to be involved (seems likely), we can expect an opinion poll which arrives at the "What have they got to hide" conclusion.
So?
--Tim May
Well this is exactly why the Founding Fathers set up the form of government that they did rather than going with a "pure" democracy. The intent was to insolate the governing process from the lynch mob mentality. This is doublely so with the Bill of Rights and the Amendment process. They are there to provide a break on the "mob" and give time to reflect on the long term consequences of perprosed actions. Unfortunatly all 3 branches of government have desided that they nolonger need to abide by the laws spelled out in the Constitution solong as it politically expediant. - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------- William H. Geiger III http://www.amaranth.com/~whgiii Geiger Consulting Cooking With Warp 4.0 Author of E-Secure - PGP Front End for MR/2 Ice PGP & MR/2 the only way for secure e-mail. Finger whgiii@amaranth.com for PGP Key and other info - ----------------------------------------------------------- Tag-O-Matic: Walk through doors, don't crawl through Windows. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: Registered User E-Secure v1.1 ES000000 iQCVAwUBM3xuMI9Co1n+aLhhAQGJXQP/XkR6VoCtsFnduuXBfqktMM9a6iZG0AhU pdEaqt4k/k+wNjogT6P1pkV1+Tb0V2TH7No94QjnWPTZmrqfwM6UmN6aqzaQeoIj nQh/yaNFcLsB7GNX6Gcye94grHKBIziA2/9HzIIFiIisFt8ffyiwUGcnmsoEpWyS 5vnM6u5EhU8= =EWl0 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
participants (3)
-
Declan McCullagh -
Tim May -
William H. Geiger III