[3723] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: my two cents
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Ted Lemon)
Sat Dec 5 12:37:18 1998
To: Carl Ellison <cme@acm.org>
cc: perry@piermont.com, cryptography@c2.net
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Sat, 05 Dec 1998 00:27:00 PST."
<3.0.3.32.19981205002700.038b6bc0@spiritone.com>
Date: Sat, 05 Dec 1998 12:25:06 -0500
From: Ted Lemon <mellon@hoffman.vix.com>
> Although I share your anger and desire for a show-down, I worry about the
> result. Back when the Clipper chip was fresh in the papers was the time for
> this showdown. There is so little awareness on the public's part today
> about crypto that I would be surprised if a mass movement of the people
> speaking to Congress would come out at all in our favor.
Actually, there's a presidential election coming up in the United
States shortly. One of the candidates for President, a certain Mr. Al
Gore, is also a strong proponent of controls on strong crypto. An
interesting tactic to get a broader public voice might be to try to
get one of his opponents to make crypto a campaign issue. Bill
Bradley, perhaps, or one of the Republicans, if one of them comes out
with a palatable stance on civil liberty. Politicians give access to
those who help them to get elected. If the crypto geek contingent
worked to get one of Gore's opponents elected, it could have a strong
positive effect on our influence in the halls of power. And the nice
thing is that if Gore wins, he's already so strongly in favour of
export controls that we have nothing to lose by pissing him off.
_MelloN_
