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[FYI] (Fwd) FC: Conservative Forum: Threat is not FBI, cops need crypto-access




------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent:      	Fri, 21 Sep 2001 13:43:50 -0400
To:             	politech@politechbot.com
From:           	Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
Subject:        	FC: Conservative Forum: Threat is not FBI, cops need crypto-access
Send reply to:  	declan@well.com

[Norm works on privacy topics for Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), a
libertarian- leaning kind of fellow. --DBM]

*******

From: "Singleton, Norman" <Norman.Singleton@mail.house.gov>
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 13:26:44 -0400

Friends, even some alleged "conservatives" are eagerly anticipating
sacrificing liberty for the illusion of security [...]

http://www.conservativereform.org/bullmoose/

    Wednesday, September 19, 2001 (3:13 PM ET)

    Bedfellows. The Moose is heartened by the national show of unity
    against terrorism. But, beware of strange bedfellows.

    The alliance of right and left wing flotsam and jetsam is nothing
    new on the foreign policy front. We witnessed it during the Kosovo
    conflict when noted hawks such as Lott and DeLay joined the "peace
    now" crowd. With a direct attack on the American homeland,
    dissident voices are muted but have not entirely disappeared.

    The most bizarre example comes from Jerry Falwell and Pat
    Robertson who suggested that the attack was God's wrath against a
    nation that has sinned. This was a new theocratic right variant on
    the "Blame American First" theme that used to be the purview of
    the left. As was eloquently stated during the 2000 Republican
    primaries, Robertson and Falwell are truly the "agents of
    intolerance."

    Meanwhile, a few timid left voices are suggesting that we must
    look for "root causes" for the terrorist behavior. However, the
    American people are not in a receptive audience for the root cause
    crowd.

    A more pernicious development is an emerging right-left alliance
    against the ability of law enforcement to conduct domestic
    surveillance of terrorists.

    According to the Washington Post, groups ranging from the ACLU to
    the Free Congress Foundation and the Gun Owners of America are
    uniting to "declare their concerns that increased surveillance
    initiatives would invade privacy." One conservative group called
    the Coalition for Constitutional Liberties declared that, "our
    most basic and fundamental freedoms are under attack unlike any
    time since the Revolutionary Era."

    The Moose would find this all so amusing if it weren't so sad.
    Some on the right have long had the constitutional outlook of the
    ACLU on issues ranging from soft money to the drug war.

    Yes, there is a tremendous threat to our security, but it isn't
    coming from the FBI! The unholy alliance of the right and the left
    is not focused on stopping terrorists who threaten our very lives,
    but rather on restraining law enforcement which seeks to protect
    our safety. Privacy is fine, but at a time such as this, we must
    guard our security first. This right-left coalition is just
    another variant on the discredited liberal gang from the 60's
    which sought to tie the hands of the police against criminals.

    Make no mistake, there is a terrorist conspiracy operating within
    the borders of the United States. According to testimony from a
    federal official during congressional hearings last year, "As we
    know, Middle East terrorist groups - such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and
    Osama bin Laden's organization - are using computerized files,
    email and encryption to support their organizations."

    Some so-called conservatives have long opposed allowing law
    enforcement to have encryption-busting powers. Evidently, the
    largesse of the computer industry and other special interests can
    be very influential. The Moose, however, makes no apologies for
    desiring that the FBI has every tool available to thwart the
    terrorist plans. Give Attorney General Ashcroft all he requests,
    and more.

    If this is war, it is time for both the left and the right to
    choose sides.

    [...]




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