What is Al Gore's role in enabling the NSA Spying?

[formercia]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore_and_information_technology

--snip--

The Clipper Chip, which "Clinton inherited from a multi-year National Security Agency effort,"[31] was a method of hardware encryption with a government backdoor. In 1994, Vice President Gore issued a memo on the topic of encryption, which stated that under a new policy the White House would "provide better encryption to individuals and businesses while ensuring that the needs of law enforcement and national security are met. Encryption is a law and order issue, since it can be used by criminals to thwart wiretaps and avoid detection and prosecution."[32]
Another initiative proposed a software-based key escrow system, in which keys to all encrypted data and communications would reside with a trusted third party. Since the government was seen as possibly having a need to access encrypted data originating in other countries, the pressure to establish such a system was worldwide.[33]
These policies met with strong opposition from civil liberty groups[21] such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, scientific groups such as the National Research Council,[34] leading cryptographers,[35] and the European Commission.[36] All three encryption initiatives thus failed to gain widespread acceptance by consumers or support from the industry.[37] The ability of a proposal such as the Clipper Chip to meet the stated goals, especially that of enabling better encryption to individuals, was disputed by a number of experts.[38]
With this resistance and lack of industry support, the Clipper Chip and key escrow initiatives were abandoned by 1996.[39]

--snip--

..But they really were not abandoned, were they?

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Al Gore of 1994 didn't forsee the world of 2013...

...nor did I, admittedly.

[formercia]

2. The NSA did, though

Obviously.

[hughee99]

3. Didn't Al Gore win an Oscar for telling people what the future would look like? n/t

[Cooley Hurd]

4. ...he did, but that was 2007, not 1994.

I could tell you in 2007 that we were on a road to ruin. In 1994, I still had hope.

[hughee99]

5. Yes, but based on a presentation he had been giving for years. n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

8. The Al Gore of 1994 was not the same person as the Al Gore of today.

He was a big-time DLC Third Wayer back then, and remember that in 2000 he ran as a "moderate" against the more liberal Bradley.

[GeorgeGist]

11. I'm late, I'm late for a very important date ...

1984.

[Progressive dog]

6. But they really were not abandoned, were they? Yes they were

Simple as that, yes they were. The same systems can run multiple operating systems, they do not have to use Windows. There is no point in making an American company install back doors in their software when they have foreign competition.

[formercia]

10. How do you know they were abandoned?

The evidence seems to contradict your statement.

[Progressive dog]

12. No it doesn't, there is no chip in your computer

What evidence? The software code has to be in the computer (hardwired), or in the software. The Chinese make many of the wintel computers, they even install the software. The last I knew, China wasn't part of the US.
This stuff doesn't work by miracles is the simplest way of putting it.
Windows is continuously scrutinized for problems by all kinds of hackers and security firms. Many of these people are not in the USA.

[formercia]

14. The NSA Backdoor Key in Windows is well documented

Ipso facto.

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/06/microsoft-programmed-in-nsa-backdoor-in-windows-by-1999.html

Lotus Notes as well.

Just Google it.

[FarCenter]

15. They were abandoned -- no one uses a clipper chip with the skipjack algorithm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skipjack_(cipher)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper_chip
http://www.cryptomuseum.com/crypto/usa/clipper.htm

[formercia]

16. True, the Clipper Chip was aandoned, so the Backdoor was put into software instead

This happened in 1999, before Bush. It was still on Clinton and Gore's watch.

A Backdoor is a Backdoor, Continuing to harp on the Clipper Chip is a waste of Time.

[FarCenter]

17. The NSAKEY alleged backdoor was debunked in 1999.

There may be a backdoor in Windows, but if so, it would be much better hidden than that.

And actually, there are enough holes in Windows that NSA doesn't need to make one.

[Hatchling]

7. Throwing Gore under the bus now, are we?

This sounds like a talking point to discredit Al Gore for his very vocal disapproval of NSA spying.

[formercia]

9. Not at all...

But since he brought the subject up, Like in a Court of Law, it is our duty to cross-examine his statements.

I don't do Talking Points...I've made my Bones here.