I agree that politics should not be considered in the design
of an OPEN-PGP standards. However, politics cannot be totally
ignored. To do so invites politicians to develop, promote, and
ultimately pass adverse legislation.
To those outside the USA, who think they are immune, I suggest
that your politicians are not any better then those in the USA.
They are just a little behind the curve - and once your media
starts running scare stories (to boost circulation), your
politicians will be able to catch up quick.
Here are some more examples of what is going on in the USA
political front.
<1> Creation of "President's Commission on Critical
Infrastructure Protection" http://www.pccip.gov/
Their charter is to recommend solutions on how to
prevent "attacks" via computer. Do you think they
will try to generate headlines which scare the public?
<2> U.S. IN DANGER OF CATASTROPHIC CYBER ATTACK
Robert Marsh, the chairman of the Commission on Critical
Infrastructure Protection says that neither government nor
industry now has the means to protect the United States
against computer attacks that could shut down communications
and power grid. The commission will deliver its report to
President Clinton this week. (Montreal Gazette 8 Oct 97)
<3> Fantasy of every unethical policeman and corrupt bureaucrat.
Recently the FBI has started to demand a creepy new anti-privacy
law. It requires that all future technologies -- from cell
phones to WordPerfect -- include a kind of electronic peephole
to let law enforcement agents snoop through your private files
and communications without your knowledge or permission. One
House committee has already approved the FBI's bill.
http://cgi.pathfinder.com/netly/opinion/0,1042,1466,00.html
I do not think that this kind of political rhetoric will
remain confined to the USA. So, I ask you to CONSIDER
how to address the political implications, WITHOUT DILUTING
the effectiveness of PGP.