Re: weak encryption

[dave madden <dhm@mersenne.com>]

 =>From: mgraffam@idsi.net
 =>...
 =>...ya know.. what we need is a really good propaganda campaign.
 =>Every time some stupid shit happens, the Feds run around making the
 =>same old "See, we need to shit on your privacy to prevent <insert
 =>scare factor here>" argument. 
 =>
 =>We need someone to intercept a few good juicy emails (to public 
 =>figures, maybe?) and use tried and true SPAM technology to mass-mail
 =>the intercepts to everyone, maybe to the NY Times with a bit of 
 =>commentary. Or, if we really want a zero body-count, fake the emails,
 =>hell fake the victims too. 
 =>
 =>Then the propaganda wing of our little conspiracy can say "See, you
 =>need PGP to prevent this sort of thing!"

Unfortunately, that plays into the Feds' hands too: if the juicy
emails had been encrypted, then The Public never would have found out
about whatever (presumably illegal) compromising position the public
figure was caught in.  Therefore, encryption is only of use in hiding
illegal activity.  Therefore, only criminals need encryption.
Therefore, anyone using encryption is a criminal.  Therefore, anyone
who has a PGP public key must be incarcerated.  Q.E.D.

d.

"Thank Gawd all those PGP users were stupid enough to register their
keys with the servers we just impounded.  Otherwise, we might not have
been able to capture all those vile pedophile drug-dealer gun-nut
loonies so quickly."  -- a future Attorney General?