[3578] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: Movement on Export regulations
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Phil Karn)
Tue Nov 3 11:55:43 1998
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 15:13:15 -0800 (PST)
From: Phil Karn <karn@qualcomm.com>
To: reinhold@world.std.com
CC: cryptography@c2.net, karn@qualcomm.com
In-reply-to: <v03130302b263b1b10f58@[24.128.119.92]> (reinhold@world.std.com)
>I really don't understand the benefit to US security of banning shipment of
>shrinkwrap software containing export grade crypto to these countries. The
>ban is futile and counterproductive.
Of course. But one look at the satellites-to-China issue is enough to
show how reason and logic are powerless against political
opportunism. It would only take milliseconds after a relaxation of
these controls for some grandstanding Republican to launch hearings
into how Clinton could possibly arm the likes of Saddam or Castro with
sophisticated US software technology. It wouldn't matter in the least
that these controls had been completely ineffectual and
counterproductive. Facts are never as important in politics as
perceptions.
When the Great Crypto War began several years ago, I was surprised
that so many Republicans -- including some normally conservative ones
-- championed relaxed export controls on cryptography. But it all
made perfect sense when I realized that their position had more to do
with opposing Clinton than supporting crypto.
My own experiences in testifying to both the Senate and House left me
a little shaken. Despite the warm reception we all got and their
seemingly unamimous support for relaxed controls, it was obvious that
even the few congressmen who actually bothered to show up had at best
only a dim understanding of the facts and technical issues, and as a
result their support was probably very fickle.
I was proved right several months after my House testimony when the
"black limo" effect took hold. Several congressmen suddenly switched
sides and opposed decontrol. The best example was Sonny Bono, who I
watched in March 1997 rant and rave about the FBI and its long history
of abusing civil rights. A few months later he switched sides, saying
how grateful he was that Louie Freeh had prevented him from making a
terrible mistake.
It's safe to say that even on the rare occasions when Congress does the
right thing, it's invariably for all the wrong reasons.
Phil
