On Wed, 31 May 2000, Ed Carp wrote:
> Russell King (rmk@arm.linux.org.uk) writes:
>
> > Ed Carp writes:
> > > Some "laws" are unjust and evil. Just because there is a law doesn't make it
> > > right.
> >
> > But just because its evil does not mean you have to force people to break
> > the law, or restrict their ability to use stuff.
> >
> > > Governments that try to ban even the most basic rights (like that of privacy)
> > > using the excuse of "national security" are evil and have no right to even
> > > exist.
> >
> > They do exist, and we have to work around it in a way that is acceptable
> > to everyone, unless we're trying to get a smaller Linux user-base.
> >
> > Is it your intention to restrict the number of users of Linux, or to change
> > governments. If its the latter, you'll probably fail miserably.
>
> You know, a bunch of people said much the same thing about PGP - and
> they were wrong. It will be interesting to see what happens.
>
> As for changing governments, when enough people in the US stood up and
> said "NO!" loud enough, we got results. Crypto exports with little
> restriction, no Clipper chip, we even got SA turned off on GPS! I
> wouldn't bet on the "fail miserably" side...
The difference here is that the US is, at least allegedly :), a democracy,
while China is a Communist dictature. A dictature doesn't have to give
rats about the voice of the people; if the people demands too much, they
can always oppress them using a little military power. In a democracy,
on the other hand, the people in power knows, that if they fail to follow
the wims of their voters, they are apt to sooner or later lose their
office.
> I also wouldn't worry about getting a smaller Linux base - Linux is
> doing just fine, thank you...and it's even more wildly popular in
> Europe than it is in the US.
Uhm yes, but both Europe and the US does (at least nowadays) allow
at least import and use of crypto. Countries like China doesn't.
Being the country responsible for most software-piracy in the world,
at least according to what I've heard, Linux has a big market.
So I think it's vital that we continue offering a non-crypto version
of the kernel-tree as well, but that we add the crypto into the main-tree.
/David Weinehall
_ _
// David Weinehall <tao@acc.umu.se> /> Northern lights wander \\
// Project MCA Linux hacker // Dance across the winter sky //
\> http://www.acc.umu.se/~tao/ </ Full colour fire </
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