On 11/30/2015 09:19 PM, d...@geer.org wrote:
I would find it refreshing were Brennan to present
said electorate with the choice between [1] content analysis (hence
crypto side doors and the exposure of content), [2] traffic analysis
(hence data retention at a level heretofore unseen and the cataloged
exposure of real social networks), and [3] a willing resolve to tolerate
the occasional terrorist success. It is a choice amongst losses.
(I know I should refrain from responding to this, but against my better
judgment, here goes...).
It is a "choice amongst losses" only when you believe you are in a
zero-sum game. However, there is another choice that can reduce, if not
eliminate, violence.
Many humans, like rats in laboratories and in the real-world, will
attack (even to their own detriment) when cornered and given no
alternative (to resolve their grievances). It requires keen insight and
an extraordinary strength of character to espouse non-violence in the
face of injustice - but it is possible. The 20th century alone has given
us many examples: M K Gandhi, M L King, N Mandela.
When corporations in democratic nations do business with despots or just
plain corrupt business-men in countries that do not believe in the rule
of law, democratic nations engender an oppressive environment in the
trading partner's nation. The despots and corrupt business-men - to
ensure their personal profit - must oppress people who attempt to shine
a light on the corruption. What begins as the suppression of a few
honest people becomes a systemic disease that corrupts the way of life
in such nations. Soon, one starts seeing symptoms of oppression:
inequality, bigotry, the rule-of-might, class-distinctions, eventually
leading to violence. History is replete with examples of this disease.
What we are witnessing today is a system that has undergone so much
entropy, that cracks in the system are becoming more than visible,
releasing pent-up frustration in random acts of violence.
It has always been my opinion that a reasonable person, if provided an
outlet for their physical and mental energy through work that results in
a decent life for themselves and their family, will have neither time
nor desire to express their opinions through violence.
When democratic nations express their desire to preserve their "way of
life", it is critical we translate that desire into actions on how we
deal with trading partners. We *always* have the choice to walk away
from a corrupt/unethical business deal and deny the corrupt person the
opportunity for oppression of any kind. It is when we choose not to
walk away, is when we start sowing the seeds of violence.
Arshad Noor
StrongAuth, Inc.
P.S. Let this response not be misunderstood as providing an excuse for
violence. I do not believe violence is an answer to any problem. But,
I also recognize that violence is not the disease - it is a visible
symptom of a larger problem; and if we want to eliminate the symptoms,
we need to identify and eliminate the underlying problem (which is
almost always, a corruption of the mind, body and/or values).
_______________________________________________
cryptography mailing list
cryptography@randombit.net
http://lists.randombit.net/mailman/listinfo/cryptography
