Xref: utzoo talk.politics.soviet:1009 comp.misc:5113
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: The Russians are coming (to the usenet)
Message-ID: <10092@bcsaic.UUCP>
Date: 13 Feb 89 23:16:55 GMT
References: <9981@bcsaic.UUCP> <443@cadomin.UUCP>
Reply-To: rwojcik@bcsaic.UUCP (Rick Wojcik)
Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle
Lines: 62

In article <443@cadomin.UUCP> pawel@alberta.UUCP (Pawel Gburzynski) writes:
> You  say  that  snail  mail to/from the Soviet Union is not
>subjected  to  ridiculous  restrictions.  But  isn't it? You
>should remember that many people there are obsessed with the
>vision of western spies conspiring to steal  their  precious
>industrial  and  military  secrets. Even in Poland, at least

Please.  I didn't say that snail mail is unrestricted, only that it isn't
monitored or restricted in anything like the way you thought email would be.
For your information, there are plenty of people in this country that would
impose similar restrictions from this end.  When I was in high school in the
1960's, I subscribed to Pravda, Izvestiia, and Krokodil.  I was learning
Russian and thought that it might be an educational experience.  It was.  The
CIA was secretly monitoring all mail to and from Communist countries in those
days.  My subscriptions were temporarily stopped, and I was queried as to
whether I wished to receive "Communist propaganda."  At that time, my
adolescent mind relished the thought of being put on someone's list, and I
replied in the affirmative.  The CIA operation was disbanded shortly
thereafter, but it is my understanding that the NSA still has as its mission
the monitoring of international and domestic communications that might be
considered a danger to state security.  (In some minds, that is any and all
communication with Communist countries.)  

>...I  find it difficult to believe that you
>will soon have an  open  political  discussion  on  the  net
>involving your Soviet friends talking explicitly about their
>problems.

I don't want to prejudge anything, but you may well be right.  If you are,
then so what?  What kind of damage is likely to occur?  And won't the exposure
from our side be something for the Soviets to fear?  I doubt that the regime
will be able to control matters easily once they get started.  Meanwhile,
there will be plenty of watchdogs on the net to make sure that disinformation
and propaganda does not go unchallenged.  

> Reading between lines is difficult and  requires  years  of
>practice.  Forgive  me  if you find my remark offensive, but
>people here are not the best experts on  that  matter.  Easy

Your remark is not offensive.  I politely respond "Hogwash!"  :-) We get
plenty of propaganda here--especially in the form of product advertising.  We
are very used to hearing evasive and silly responses from public officials.
And there is considerable skepticism about Soviet intentions, even with
glasnost and perestroika.  Soviet propaganda has always struck me as rather
unsubtle--easy to see through.  It does more damage in a society where
conflicting points of view don't have a fair chance to counter it.  Such would
not be the case on Usenet.  

>life  has taught you optimism and you are generally inclined
>to believe in the "good news" that you hear from someone and
>disregard "the bad news". I think that  it  is  a  wonderful
>attitude, but it does not seem to work when you try to learn
>about the outside world.

I'm an optimist?  How do you know so much about me?  I agree with many of your
points.  You haven't articulated very clearly what kind of damage you think
will come from letting the Soviets onto Usenet.  Please give me your
pessimist's analysis.  :-)  (BTW, welcome to the West.)

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