Reason's C. Young: Encryption is "scary," put up with surveillance

[Tim May]

On Wednesday, September 26, 2001, at 03:18 PM, Declan McCullagh wrote:

> http://www.reason.com/cy/cy092401.html
>
>    September 24, 2001
>    Civil liberties may take a hit
>    By Cathy Young
>
>    [...]
>
>    The movements of foreign visitors will be scrutinized more closely.
>    Perhaps most alarming to many civil libertarians, it's likely that 
> the
>    government will expand its ability to monitor electronic mail, which
>    has been a controversial issue for some time.
>
>    Do I like the idea of the government intercepting e-mail? No. But, as
>    long as there's judicial oversight and due process, that's no
>    different from its longstanding power to intercept regular mail.
>
>    Do I like the idea of people being able to encrypt electronic
>    communications so that they are beyond surveillance? Frankly, I found
>    it scary even before Sept. 11 - precisely because of the threat of
>    terrorism.
>
>    It is said that there are no atheists in foxholes; perhaps there are
>    no true libertarians in times of terrorist attacks.
>
>    Even in the Declaration of Independence, the right to liberty is
>    preceded by the right to life.


We see why "Reason" has become so...dismissable.

Between Cato arguing for victim disarmament and Reason arguing that 
"right to liberty is preceeded by the right to life," I say we just kill 
them all and let Rand sort them out.

--Tim May