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From: imprint@orchid.waterloo.edu (U of Waterloo Student Newspaper)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: UUCP - USSR
Message-ID: <11325@orchid.waterloo.edu>
Date: Thu, 22-Oct-87 22:38:04 EST
Article-I.D.: orchid.11325
Posted: Thu Oct 22 22:38:04 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Oct-87 18:28:57 EST
References: <8751@shemp.UCLA.EDU> <866@cod.NOSC.MIL>
Reply-To: imprint@orchid.waterloo.edu (U of Waterloo Student Newspaper)
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Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
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>
>Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!  My God, is it really that difficult to look at the
>Soviet Union (as opposed to the Russian people) and the West and not see
>the differences?!  I think we should try as much as possible to make
>contact with ordinary Soviet Citizens.  At the same time, we should not
>harbor any illusions regarding the cultural and political differences.
>
>Bill 

I question whether it is relevant, when contemplating the
opening of network links to other countries, to undertake an
evaluation of that country's political correctness first.

I have not seen any suggestion that there are not
differences between East and West, quite the contrary. It is
the very fact of those differences, and the fact that they
presently threaten the entire human race with extinction,
that makes it so important to work at bridging them.

The fact that the Soviet government is a "bad" government
leads some to say we should not talk to their people. I am
sure that the same logic works the other way, the fact that
we in the West have "bad" governments (in the Kremlin's
opinion) has caused them to carefully regulate
communication.

What do we fear? What do they fear? Political contamination?
I doubt it. Foreign political ideas seldom take root. What
is to be feared is that the illusion created by the
propaganda machines on both sides will be shattered by face
to face dialogue and mutual understanding. There are huge
numbers of people employed in both the USSR and the USA in
enterprises which have a substantial vested interest in
maintaining the status quo of massive arms production and
"fear" of the other side.

If it ever came to pass that the USSR and USA were to
abandon their acrimony, and discard the weapons they keep to
defend themselves against each other, there would be severe
economic dislocations in both nations. Some very, very
powerful people will be reluctant to let that happen.

It is not the differences between us that matter so much, I
think, as the fact that a lot of people would be out of a
job if we ever began to bridge them!

Doug Thompson
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