Offshore Data Havens and

[Duncan Frissell]

To: cypherpunks at toad.com

J >From: jet at netcom.com (J. Eric Townsend)

J >Actually, the Feds can do anything they want.  Theyve taking to
J >raiding off-short pirate radio statons in international waters, there
J >was that bit with Noriega, etc etc.   Reagan set a standard by
J >completely ignore the world court.

Omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence eh?  We might as well give up 
and go home. <G>

The feds have many powers including the ability to nuke the hell out of 
everything.  The question becomes how usefull those powers are.  After 
all, Caeser or Louis XIV could "destroy the city, leave no stone standing 
upon stone and sow the ground with salt."  The difference today is that 
the "peasants" of the OECD countries are much more powerful than those of 
18th century France.

The Feds can apply point force but they can't apply it everywhere.  They 
can do some things in international waters, they can kidnap some "drug 
kingpins"  they can't go after every "criminal" *inside* the US much less 
overseas.  Their limited current powers will be further limited once 
secure untraceable communications nets are in place.

More than that, their power and prestige depend on how the people they 
rule view them.  If we turn aside from them, their power will evaporate 
overnight.  If the KGB couldn't block liberalization, the Fibbies, the 
Company, and Ft. Meade won't be able to either.  

Don't worry about it.  Social change is underway.  We'll achieve autonomy 
Just In Time.

Duncan Frissell

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