In my opinion criminalizing encryption is not just counterproductive, it is entirely useless. What does it achieve? With current US laws that already provide ridiculously high sentences for almost any kind of crime extra few years in jail for murderer or terrorist for the use of encryption will often make no difference.

What is important is that all such snap changes in legislation made on the wave of anti-terrorist propaganda, greatly undermine the democracy in general. Eventually U.S will be (or perhaps already is) in a situation when anyone can be prosecuted for something (or anything) at the discretion of FBI.

When there are no laws it is anarchy, but when there are too many restrictive laws it is tyrany. And it does not matter who issues those laws - king, dictator (like Saddam) or US government; from practical point of view there is no difference.

Fight with tyrany is what real fight for freedom is.

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