[free-sklyarov] An Alternative Line of Argumentation

[Jay Sulzberger]

On Sun, 22 Jul 2001, David Honig wrote:

> At 05:09 PM 7/22/01 -0400, Jay Sulzberger wrote:
> >> not going to happen. VPN is a *huge* topic right now, and several
> >> carriers strive to offer it to everyone who comes and pays.
> >> incidently, VPN outside the carrier network requires encryption. :)
> >
> >Here is how encryption could be denied to individuals:
> >
> >You must get a license to run a VPN, or indeed any encryption, and
> >licenses are only issued to responsible entities.  Licenses cost $10,000
> >for one year, with a small per node fee in addition.
> >
> >oo--JS.
> >
>
> Ok fine, so you use stego to put the messages into baby pictures.
>
> Then they outlaw stego code.  And require you to run a govt monitor program
> on your machine in order to connect.
>
> That of course is a full police state, equivalent to a camera in every room.
>
> Welcome to Dark Ages II.
>
> Can we get back to helping this programmer/grad (could be *you*)
> and leave cypherpunk dystopias to another list?

No.  You are wrong in your stance and wrong on the particulars.

Do you know of the "CPRM" proposal to place one meg of spy
hardware/firmware/software into every IDE had drive made after 1 August
2001?  This spy stuff would be capable of scanning your whole hard disk
and sending back encrypted reports to Infotainment Central.  This spy
stuff would also allow Infotainment Central to disable your hard drive,
whether or not you wished your hard drive disabled.  Are you aware that
the proposal almost passed?  Are you aware that Dmitry Sklyarov sits in
jail today because Adobe is trying to keep people from finding out that
Adobe uses rot13 to protect valuable material?  Perhaps you have not heard
of the costs of defending 2600 against a frivolous suit brought by the
MPAA?  Perhaps you have not heard of the massive placement of spy cameras
in our cities?

oo--JS.