
David,

  As an economist, I'm sure you can see the flaws in this logic. If the (naive)
market is flooded with proprietary, but weak, encryption, then truly strong 
encryption will be unable to compete. Suppose the govt had a secret TV broadcast
standard, and then sold TVs below cost. Private industry has a better standard,
but it's not as widespread due to the govt early flooding of the market
with cheap proprietary sets. Even though the industry's technology is better,
the programming is being broadcast to the govt's unduplicatable standard.
Who could compete?

  The other flaw, of course, is that making something voluntary today ensures
that it will be voluntary in the future. I went to renew my CA drivers license
last week and was required not only to give my SSN, but to PRODUCE AN SSN
CARD to veryify the number!  Note that a federal law once said that no state
or local govt could ever require the use of SSNs for drivers license registration
(specifically!).

   I do not trust the govt that says "trust me on this even though we could
have an arrangement that doesn't require your trust."  Something is big
time fishy. If you look more carefully, you'll see it.

  -mel