Re: German Tor Legal Fund

[Onion <onion@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Alexander W. Janssen wrote:

>Onion wrote:
>> That's why I'd also prefer a name covering all facets of OR like
>> 'Deutsche Anonymisierserver Initiative - DASI gegen Stasi', with
>> equivalent shorthand expressions ('British [...] Anonymisation Server
>> Initiative' = 'BASI') easy to adapt to areas of other languages.

<offtopic> (ignore at will)

First of all, I'm not fond of political discussions in tech groups,
but in this specific case of an aid, that was developed not least for
sociopolitical reasons, motivating statements can't be misplaced.

>Puh, although I get the pun I wouldn't like the Stasi-reference in the
>organisation's name.
>After all, the Stasi was an organisation known to abduct and kill, and
>to harass an entire nation.
>Though we're just facing some enormous changes in privacy- and
>security-policy no one in Germany can say that "it's as bad as it was
>with the Stasi". If someone really thinks that way, I'd advice to get a
>good textbook on history...

We're on the cusp of mass surveillance and profiling of unprecedented
quality. I fear, in a few years we'll long for the kind of
intervention the former Stasi was able to achieve. Our future
dictator, and history told us that no society is immune to populist
seducers, will not only have all tools at his disposal to build a
stable totalitarian regime. We even vest him with the legal authority
for an unrestricted use of that power. Taking over our country will be
a bargain nobody can refuse. By rights it's the duty of our
representatives to minimize such risks instead of increasing them and
undermining our democratic principles, e.g. by persecuting and
denouncing those who take their civic duties seriously.

>I have no problems to use references to the Stasi in a polemic context,
>but to make it your whole slogan wouldn't be fair to the victims of the
>Stasi.

I agree. The optional 'DASI statt Stasi' slogan only aimed at making
the implications of our government's plans somewhat clearer. I got the
impression, that people aren't aware of the consequences for our all's
lives and only notice some anarchists opposing their reigning
protectors.

</offtopic>

>We're just in the phase of making up the articles of the organisation.
>The preliminary name for the organisation is "Privacy Legal Fund (Germany)".

Getting on with that initiative is good news for our country. Thanks.

Onion