Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site cbosgd.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!clyde!ihnp4!cbosgd!mark
From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.followup
Subject: Re: Stalin and slavery
Message-ID: <746@cbosgd.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 18-Dec-83 11:33:20 EST
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.746
Posted: Sun Dec 18 11:33:20 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Dec-83 02:00:09 EST
References: <399@reed.UUCP>, <5535@mcvax.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Lines: 12

> Dave claims that "the people" can make a difference in the United
> States whereas they cannot in the Soviet Union.  This is pretty much
> true, but I don't believe that the Soviet government ignores public
> opinion completely.  The U. S. government is heavily influenced by PACs
> which represent some of the people but certainly not all.

I would be quite interested if you can come up with ONE SHRED OF EVIDENCE
that the Soviet Union can be influenced by public opinion.  My impression
is that the Soviet government actively follows a policy of making sure
that public opinion cannot be formed or measured, lest it reinforce in
the public mind that the people want something different than what the
government wants to provide.