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The following link may be of interest; http://www.politechbot.com/p-02524.html Given that it's only a week since the tragedy, the numbers appear encouraging. I think that, on balance, liberties will take a battering in the near future, but I'm remaining unexplicably optimistic. Cheers, Bob. -----Original Message----- From: Nicholas Hubble [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 19 September 2001 16:28 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: WAR on Technology Dear all, I was going to post this message last week, but due to my university's changing of its email provider, I've had problems. In the meantime, Nicole has posted on a similar subject. But I think this just emphasises the scope of the new coming future....... Subscribers may be interested in an article by John Keegan on page 6 of today's Daily Telegraph (Thurs 13 September 2001), entitled 'Military response may target technology'. The following passage conveys the idea: 'The mobile telephone and e-mail, probably encrypted, must have been the means by which the atrocities were coordinated. The American intelligence community [!?] must undoubtedly now be considering measures to take management of radio telephone communications under state control, and the distributers of e-mail as well.' It looks like civil liberties are going to take a pasting in the future. But more worrying is the way the reactionary right are lining up to turn the clock back to before the 1960s. If Blair makes a mess of whatever action takes place in the next weeks and months (and the potential pitfalls are obvious) then the alternative reactionary authoritarian army-loving alternative is already in position in the Tory party to take over. That really will be '1984' with complete surveillance geared to narrow illiberal rule. I think its time to theorise in advance while we still can (better than just sitting around and watching the news anyway). Nick Nick Hubble, [log in to unmask] GRC Humanities, Arts B, University of Sussex 01273 606755 x2139