[free-sklyarov] Time of Adobe/EFF meeting?

[Jay Sulzberger]

On Sun, 22 Jul 2001, Paul Gowder wrote:

> Seth, I must ask.  What tactics, as a political/community organizing/legal
> (I'm in the school that says the three are the same) matter, would justify
> the EFF's behavior?  The EFF has made concessions (monkeywrenching the
> protests, successfully in at least one case) from a position of weakness
> (having not yet shown any power with actual action) to negotiate with a
> party that does not have clear decisionmaking authority (because it's in
> the DOJ's hands right now).  I completely fail to see the thought or the
> wisdom behind EFF's doing this, and at the same time refusing to disclose
> their communications with the other side to their supporters, and their
> only real power base.  There's just no way to redeem that kind of
> behavior.  From which we can draw three possible conclusions.
> 1.  The EFF has something really underhanded going on, designed to free
> Sklyarov and/or overturn the DMCA, that is just too esoteric and brilliant
> for us lowly mortals to be able to comprehend.
> 2.  The EFF has some ulterior motive, and screw the DMCA/Sklyarov.
> 3.  The EFF is real dumb.
>
> I'm leaning toward number three myself.  Though number two is also a
> possibility.  I'll go and re-read The Prince, see if Machiavelli has
> anything to say about the situation that would tend to point toward #1, but
> all signs say not.
>
>          -Paul

It could easily be 1, whether planned by the EFF or no.  No very subtle
tactic, just the standard, almost necessary for structural reasons, tactic
of:

The more middle of the road reformer/revolutionaries are inside negotating
with the oppressors while outside the crazies can barely be held in check.

oo--JS.