1st Ammendment Tossed in Paladin Case

[Declan McCullagh]

At 00:59 +0100 11/12/97, Anonymous wrote:
>  It is a fact that we tend to narrow our range of perception when we
>get involved in any cult/religion/organization and bestow some of our
>own innate responsibility/authority upon them. Once separated from
>the group, however, we then tend to regain more control over our
>individual beliefs and values, whereupon we are more likely to recognize
>where we stepped beyond or own moral/ethical values while caught up,
>to whatever extent, in 'group mind.'
>  This has been discussed on the list (e.g. Declan goes to Washington!)

Heh. It's been discussed but no findings of fact have been made.

Ever since I moved back to Washington (I've lived here twice before) to
take a job as a political Net-reporter, my social circle has included many
folks with similar political beliefs. There's my S.O., who's an "Abolish
the FCC" Net and telecommunications lawyer. The Cato soccer team I'm on. My
friends, many of whom are involved in (or at least care about) issues like
crypto.

And there's also the more interesting question of the cypherpunks list as
an organization that influences the political stances of its participants.
If I hadn't been a cypherpunks subscriber for three years or so, would my
political beliefs be the same? I'm not sure.

-Declan