---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 14:07:08 +0200 (MET DST) From: Paul Wouters <paul@xtdnet.nl> Cc: nanog@merit.edu, patrice@xs4all.nl Subject: Re: [NEWS] FBI To Require ISPs To Reconfigure E-mail Systems (fwd) On 24 Oct 2001, Paul Vixie wrote:

Redefining what an ISP is, in order to evade the FBI's intent, lacks respect.

Redefining an ISP to be an unpaid Private Investigator, Police officer, Lawyer, Judge and Executioner all in one, what many laws have done or are about to do, totally lack respect for its citizens it is supposed to guide. What kind of society have we become when the BVD (Dutch FBI) classify the nations top internet experts as "anarchistic enemies of the state" because they're holding a conference (www.hal2001.org) on privacy, digital rights, and freedom. Paul, your work for the common good (bind, ISC, etc) has earned my deepest respect. But the national security agencies who want to turn this world in a police state have not. They cannot order my respect. They can not take my respect. It's just not there. Yes, working arounds laws, even fundamental human rights, is not the best way to address these issues, but it seems currently, it is one of the few options I have left. What can I do when I only have privacy and freedom left on paper, as an archaic symbol of the past? The legal system has grown beyond the timespan for individuals to have much meaningful influence if you play it by that system, hence you don't play it that way anymore. I know technology, so I'll battle it with technology and let other people who know more about law fight it on their terrain. Hopefully we'll manage to get the laws under control again, instead of being totally controlled by laws. Laws are meant to help citizens and their disputes in a society, and the more ridicilous laws are passed, the more the citizens will treat them only as guidelines. You can't have the cake and eat it too. If only letting of this steam could power an engine :) Paul -- We can't have these hidden economies and foul politics in this age anymore. It is just *too* dangerous --- Howard Davies' (Chairman FSA) financial views extrapolated