[48092] in Cypherpunks
RE: RANT: cypherpunks do NSA's job for them!!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (blanc)
Fri Jan 26 00:13:32 1996
From: blanc <blancw@accessone.com>
To: "cypherpunks@toad.com" <cypherpunks@toad.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 21:11:00 -0800
From: Vladimir Z. Nuri
your friends, family, associates, etc. constantly
*reminding* you of that law is the major, critical, unseen mechanism
in propagation of laws.
........................................................................=
....
Actually, Vlad is has a remote point. =20
When signs on the road advise everyone to buckle up - because "it's the =
law", it has the intent of providing the be-all and end-all reason for =
why we should do the things we do. =20
When certain activities are described as being "illegal" it lends to the =
laws surrounding them an air of legitimacy, even though most anyone on =
this list who refers to them in that way understands that they are =
phrasing their words in terms of how these actions are =
perceived/categorized by the lawmakers, not by the cpunks.
Yet you must understand, Vlad: you aren't going to figure out how to =
deal with a looming threat like ITAR simply by being nonchalant & =
devil-may-care. The fact that some people (lawyers) know what =
corporations & individuals are facing if they try to import or export =
"illegal" substances like abstract code, and the fact that some people =
(programmers) discuss the issues openly, does not mean that they are =
headed in the direction of submission to the given obstacles. =20
It just means that they're thinking through the problem, to clarify just =
what the situation is, to give conscious consideration to what anyone =
might have to deal with as a consequence of their decisions (to do what =
they will regardless of the NSA's perceptions).
I think this is a valuable & legitimate pass-time.
..
Blanc
