Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 00:48:20 -0400 To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com> From: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com> Subject: Reason Magazine And Foundation Support Encryption Rights Cc: jsullum@aol.com, malissi@reason.com, davidn@reason.org, gillespie@reason.com, sstephens@dispatch.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"I want to thank both Mike Alissi, (malissi@reason.com) Publisher of Reason Magazine and David Nott (davidn@reason.org) President, Reason Foundation who each sent me a copy of Jacob Sullum's October 16, 2001 essay "Fear of Prying" <http://www.reason.com/sullum/101601.html>. Which I then sent to the subscribers of Freematt's Alerts (10,000+) and to several other mailing lists yesterday.
Mr. Sullum writes: "Boston Globe columnist Cathy Young, a colleague of mine at Reason magazine, has confessed that "the idea of people being able to encrypt electronic communications so that they are beyond surveillance" has always seemed "scary" to her, "precisely because of the threat of terrorism." This is like saying that computers or telephones or airplanes or box cutters are scary. Any technology can be used for good or ill. The question is whether the potential for evil justifies restrictions on legitimate uses."
And Sullum ends with: "Misuse of official records is not exactly unheard of in this country, and the problem would be magnified if every unsavory regime that has enlisted in the war on terrorism were to be trusted with the keys to its citizens' e-mail. For the dissidents Phil Zimmermann is rightly proud of helping, the whole point of encryption is to guard against official surveillance."
I was somewhat surprised and disturbed that Reason would publish Cathy Young's original article that appeared first in the Boston Globe, September 19, 2001 and then on Reason Online <http://www.reason.com/cy/cy092401.html>. I think Freematt's Alerts subscriber Charles Platt <cp@panix.com>, the distinguished science fiction author and senior writer at WIRED Magazine had the best response when he wrote:
"Bad enough that a contributing editor to Reason should indulge in the cliche-ridden handwringing of a statist apologist; far worse that these less-than-cerebral platitudes should be disseminated via an establishment publication, where Ms. Young is liable to be seen as a libertarian emissary.
To Cathy Young: All systems entail risk. As has just been demonstrated, a government-run system for terrorism-prevention does not eliminate risk. It only eliminates the superficial appearance of risk. This is far more dangerous than an honest approach in which risk is recognized and individuals are encouraged to deal with it instead of running to their elected representatives and asking to be protected.
"A free society is not a suicide pact"? No, it's a matter of principle, and of courage. I really think you should reconsider your political affiliations.
--Charles Platt Senior Writer, Wired magazine"
For better or worse Reason Magazine is viewed as a libertarian/freemarket publication. The magazine has in the last decade doubled it's circulation to over 60,000 which places it over conservative publications such as the Weekly Standard and nearly that of the liberal New Republic. See Columbus Dispatch Metro Columnist Steve Stephens's <sstephens@dispatch.com> October 15, 2001 column "The Voice of 'Reason' Lives In Small Ohio Town" where he interviews Reason's editor Nick Gillespie <gillespie@reason.com> See: <http://libpub.dispatch.com/cgi-bin/documentv1?DBLIST=cd01&DOCNUM=4493 2&TERMV=31160:11:>
I'm optimistic that Reason won't lose it's way and veer away from their libertarian roots and I might add that Jacob Sullum's article is a step in the right and libertarian direction.
Regards, Matt Gaylor-
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