[1473] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: House panel votes behind closed doors to build in Big Brother
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Charles Platt)
Fri Sep 12 16:55:36 1997
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 15:24:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: Charles Platt <cp@panix.com>
To: cryptography@c2.net
cc: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>, Charles Platt <cp@panix.com>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.PMDF.3.95.970912095917.631264884A-100000@cccs.cccoes.edu>
[As disturbing as the current situation is, I'd prefer if we tried to
steer more directly on topic -- I'll let this last one through, but
I'd appreciate if people would keep to the substance of the current
(extraordinarily bad) legislation and how to derail it. --Perry]
On Fri, 12 Sep 1997, Phil Helms wrote:
> In the US, there are not just three branches of government, but four. The
> people are the fourth branch, and should be at least equal in power to the
> total of the other three.
A little basic knowledge of the Constitution would help. "We, the people"
are in charge here, and any power possessed by our representatives is
loaned to them by us. We are not a fourth branch of government. We create
government. It is subordinate to us. Hence the phrase (seldom used anymore
... I wonder why?) "public servant." Government officials serve us, and
indeed they should be reminded of this from time to time.
--CP
