TIA presentation

[Tyler Durden]

>Poindexter is no dummy. And criticism of TIA based on his past felony  
>trial, the basis of William Safire's main attack, is on the wrong  track. 
>Would TIA be more acceptable if it were being pushed by a true  Boy Scout? 
>Of course not.

Yeah, I was wondering when someone was going to comment on this. Methinks 
the whole Pointdexter bit, particularly in this context, a little fishy...a 
trial balloon perhaps? "How much are you little frightened people willing to 
give up in order to let us strong/smart leaders protect you?"



>Much of the TIA plan has resonances with long-discussed Cypherpunk  issues: 
>local trust formation, various types of interaction, belief  networks. The 
>difference is that TIA wants Men with Guns (TM) to  control the formation 
>and distribution of these belief networks,  whereas Cypherpunks understand 
>that the formation will be largely  anarchic and will ultimately undermine 
>central authority in the usual  ways.

A lot could be said here, and has been I'm sure. As I continue to do my 
"homework", its becomming increasingly clear to me that things like public 
key were only a mattter of time, both from the ease-of-implementation 
standpoint, as well as the sheer historical/economic/technological 
"obviousness" and necessity of it. In this sense, NSA appears like many big 
organizations I've worked for: out of touch with many emerging aspects of 
reality due to an internal culture that quickly recognizes those who aren't 
going to tow the line. The only thing they can do is slow things down. 
Crypto-based virtual structures will inevitably arise if for no other reason 
than there's going to be a lot of $$$ in it (kinda ironic, I think...).


HOWEVER, the conspiracy theorist in me still wonders if all of "this" was 
not precisely because it was recognized that we are rapidly passing through 
the point of no return. This "Illuminati"  may have decided drastic measures 
were needed "in order to save all that we hold dear"(which in their case 
means control of the unempowered and unwashed masses by the powerful). No, I 
don't think I believe this, but the circumstantial evidence is compelling 
enough so as to demand careful evaluation.




>Granted, many of us hope for the promised tactical nuke which destroys  
>much of Big Brother's infrastructure in Washington (plus removes a  million 
>or so inner city welfare mutants). This would set back BB and  accelerate 
>trends in our direction.


Uh..."hope for"? Surely if things ever come to where somthing as terrible as 
this could reasonably be hoped for, it is only after all possible 
alternatives have been pursued. And as far as I'm concerned, if a computer I 
can purchase from Circuit City is now powerful enough for the (completely 
decentralized!) peer-to-peer sharing of massive files and heavy crypto, then 
it looks to me like it's just a matter of time until many of the 
objectionable activities become not only obviously pointless, but 
suprisingly out-of-funds.


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