[LINK] Net helps criminals: Vanstone

[richard@auscoms.com.au]

>So, despite much advice to the contrary:
>-   she still believes it's feasible;  or

[Commentary: ie, if you wish to prevent a crime you're a fool?]

>-   she doesn't, but she wants to keep sending signals that she believes >it's
feasible;  or

[Commentary: ie if you say you wish to prevent a crime, you're a liar?]

>-   she doesn't, but she wants to keep sending signals that everyone in >the
know is supposed to pretend in public that it's feasible;  or

[Commentary: ie, if anyone says they wish to prevent a crime, they're all
scoundrels.]

Honestly, Roger, how can you write this with a straight face? The Internet
enables, therefore nobody has any right to even attempt to prevent even the most
odious behaviour? 

Capability and right are not the same thing, and the Internet never made them
so; is every person to be presumed dishonest or stupid, merely because they want
to prevent a particular medium being used to prevent particular crimes?

Richard Chirgwin
____________________Reply Separator____________________
Subject:    Re: [LINK] Net helps criminals: Vanstone
Author: "Roger Clarke" <Roger.Clarke@xamax.com.au>
Date:       1/06/00 5:28


>Net helps criminals: Vanstone
>australianIT.com.au STAFF and AAP
>http://www.australianit.com.au/common/storyPage/0,3811,750928%255E442,00.html

A couple of remarkable statements are buried in an otherwise unremarkable
document:


> ... it took time she said, to plug the
>electronic loopholes that criminals could exploit.

So, despite much advice to the contrary:
-   she still believes it's feasible;  or
-   she doesn't, but she wants to keep sending signals that she believes it's
    feasible;  or
-   she doesn't, but she wants to keep sending signals that everyone in the
    know is supposed to pretend in public that it's feasible;  or
-   ...


> ... laundered money added nothing to a nation's GDP.

Um, well, that depends on how you define it, right?

It adds nothing in just the same way that bartered goods and unpaid
domestic work add nothing to GDP.  They add nothing *only* because the
people who define GDP decided to leave them out ...


Roger Clarke              http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

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