Xref: utzoo talk.politics.soviet:974 comp.misc:4835
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!bcsaic!rwojcik
From: rwojcik@bcsaic.UUCP (Rick Wojcik)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.soviet,comp.misc
Subject: Re: USSR International Computer Club
Message-ID: <9778@bcsaic.UUCP>
Date: 26 Jan 89 18:05:54 GMT
References: <8901241514.AA04102@decwrl.dec.com>
Reply-To: rwojcik@bcsaic.UUCP (Rick Wojcik)
Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle
Lines: 26

In article <8901241514.AA04102@decwrl.dec.com> simon@hpstek.dec.com (Curiosier and curiosier...) writes:
>It may sound all too well, but are you aware that the ordinary Soviet 
>citizens may not own computer printers.  It is illegal and punishable by 
>law to a few years in prison.  Do you still want to promote computer 
>contacts with the Soviet Union?

Are you aware that computer disks have some advantages over printed matter?
They store more information per pound, they can be easily concealed, and they
can be easily transported.  People in samizdat used to have to copy
manuscripts laboriously on typewriters.  Computers can certainly be misused by
totalitarian regimes.  In the end, however, they may signal the death knell of
totalitarianism, because they make it virtually impossible to control the flow
of information.  

I strongly support computer contacts with the Soviet Union.  I don't believe
that it will appreciably increase security risks.  (The KGB seems to have done
a pretty good job of penetrating our security already.)  I don't fear exposure
of Americans to Soviet propaganda.  Our society accepts (or ought to accept)
the view that public exposure is the best way of sorting out ideas.  If
anything, the Soviets have more to fear from this contact than we do.  After
all, our side has the more compelling arguments.  Right?


-- 
Rick Wojcik   csnet:  rwojcik@atc.boeing.com	   
              uucp:   uw-beaver!ssc-vax!bcsaic!rwojcik