[3170] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: An Essay on Freedom, Anonymity & Financial
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Perry E. Metzger)
Sun Aug 9 21:56:10 1998
To: scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons)
cc: cryptography@c2.net
In-reply-to: Your message of "09 Aug 1998 20:03:30 EDT."
<6qldci$jij$1@lokkur.dexter.mi.us>
Reply-To: perry@piermont.com
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 21:28:36 -0400
From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@piermont.com>
Steve Simmons writes:
> Hal Finney <hal@rain.org> writes:
>
> >Science fiction writer David Brin discusses these issues in his new
> >non-fiction book, The Transparent Society . . .
> > [ see ] http://crit.org/openness/
>
> In the main I agree with Brin, and refer those who wish to learn more to
> the book and web page. Finney cites several interesting near-utopian
> novels on the topic, but such a society is not without risks. For the
> latter see Brins novel `Earth' and James Morrows `City Of Truth.'
I'm afraid I will not be able to support such a society until every
American has the ability to tune his television and watch exactly
what's happening inside Fort Meade. I doubt the National Security
State would ever be so utopian as to apply surveillance to
*itself*. When the reams of classified documents vanish, the doors to
CIA headquarters open, and all secrecy is removed from *government*,
then we can perhaps talk about watching the populace. Up until that
point, there is just too much opportunity for abuse under cover of
"National Security".
I say this, of course, knowing full well that this will never happen,
and partially, in fact, because it will never happen.
Perry
