ditz in office

[Timothy C. May]

Mike Godwin writes:

> Linn Stanton writes:
> 
> > It is an unfortunate fact that in this country, people often react
> > differently to an idea, depending on who produces it. I have spoken
> > to people who really TRUST Clinton, and who have no objection to clipper
> > and the wiretap bill, until you remind them the the Republicans could
> > be in office again someday. Then they go "Oh, yeah. That would be a
> > problem"
>  
> I don't detect any less opposition to Clipper and Digital Telephony from
> Clinton supporters than from Clinton opponents. Quite the opposite, if you
> want to know the truth.

I tend to agree with Mike here. Playing the "what if" game, had Bush
won, the Clipper thing would still be rolling along (remember that it was
started long ago, probably in the mid 80s). The arguments against it
would have a slightly different flavor, the Right would be more
mollified, and the Left would be screaming about a police state.

Perhaps more Congressional opposition to Clipper would've emerged if
Bush were Prez, but we don't know. I'm hopeful that the
Congresscritters will eventually realize that the foundations of a
police state are being laid with things like Digital Telephony
(proposed first under Bush, of course) and the 31 flavors of Clipper,
Capstone, and Tessera.

The real problem is not Republican vs. Democrat, but the concentration
of more and more economic and political power in the hands of the
State and the continual erosion of individual liberties. But you've
heard some of us talk about this before, so I'll stop.


--Tim May


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