(Fnord) Edupage, 10 September 1996

[jim bell]

>------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
>************************************************************
>Edupage, 10 September 1996.  Edupage, a summary of news about information
>technology, is provided three times a week as a service by Educom,
>a Washington, D.C.-based consortium of leading colleges and universities
>seeking to transform education through the use of information technology.
>************************************************************
>
>TOP STORIES
>        Wired World Will "Diminish National Sovereignty"
>[..]
>WIRED WORLD WILL "DIMINISH NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY"
>A leading Clinton Administration official on information security and
>cryptography matters says that traditional notions of sovereignty, national
>security and warfare will be undermined by the year 2020, when the whole
>world is "wired" and e-cash is the norm.

24 years from now?  He thinks it'll take that long?!?   24 years _ago_  the 
4004 microprocessor barely existed.  And if anything, change is accelerating 
very rapidly.

>The result will be less powerful
>governments in relation to criminal organizations such as the Mafia and
>international drug cartels,

Organizations which exist only because of the existence of government...


>says Michael Nelson, who adds that organized
>crime members are already some of the most sophisticated users of computer
>systems and strong encryption technology.  In addition, computer crackers
>will pose a more significant threat.  In response, Nelson advocates
>resolving the issue of whether unauthorized access of a computer is an "act
>of trespass" or an "act of war," and prosecuting the intrusions accordingly.
>(BNA Daily Report for Executives 6 Sep 96 A14)

I'd sure like to be able to corner this guy and point out that there are 
people who believe that _regulating_ the Internet should either be 
considered an "act of trespass" or an "act of war."  And does he want to be 
punished, or merely stopped?

Jim Bell
jimbell at pacifier.com