Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site psuvax1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!cmu-cs-pt!cadre!psuvax1!berman From: berman@psuvax1.UUCP (Piotr Berman) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Re: America-bashing Message-ID: <1694@psuvax1.UUCP> Date: Wed, 21-Aug-85 19:09:25 EDT Article-I.D.: psuvax1.1694 Posted: Wed Aug 21 19:09:25 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 00:00:18 EDT References: <3268@drutx.UUCP> <10615@rochester.UUCP> <1684@psuvax1.UUCP> <2348@watcgl.UUCP> Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ. Lines: 59 > . > . > . > > I would like to provide just two examples of differences between USSR and USA > > which are not rumors: > > a. If Americans know a little about USSR then this is the result of their > > lack of interest. An excursion to an academic library or a decent book- > > store would supply anyone with plenty of material. In USSR the goverment > > carefully controls the content of books, journals and libraries. I can > > read Pravda here (and I do), I cannot read any noncommunist newspaper > > in USSR (I learned it from Russians when I was there). > > This is third hand but: my father (a trust officer) had a client who > travelled frequently in the USSR who told him that he had approached > a woman on a park bench in Moscow who was reading.... TIME! She said > there was no problem getting copies to read as it was not restricted. > > > b. The rigths of an American citizen are specified in the bill of rights.The > > Soviet Constitution lists rights, then duties like work, cooperation with> > the law enforcement by all available means, protecting the enviroment, > > military service, increasing the friendship between nations etc. > > Subsequently, it states that utilization of rights and freedom is linked > > with the fullfilment of duties. > > Perhaps their implementation isn't all you desire but the idea that rights > are linked to the fulfillment of duties hardly originates with the USSR nor > is it (I think) all that objectionable. > > > P. Berman > -- > > John Chapman > ...!watmath!watcgl!jchapman > John finds the idea of linking rights and duties not all that objectionable. I hoped that I was clear enough: COOPERATING WITH KGB (by all available means) IS A CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY!!! Do you want your freedom of speech being linked to the quality of your reporting on your friends whenever their utter an "anti-American" statement? Apropos freedom of information in USSR: there is none. The quoted woman for sure belonged to a priviliged institution (even when the public must not be informed, somebody has no know something). I can easily believe that the woman claimed that TIME is not restricted. The best bet is that the woman was a journalist. One of the duties of journalists is to claim that censorship doesn't exists. A person from another priviliged institution would do the same. I think that I understand you John. It is difficult to imagine what is normal in a communist country. Being from East, I was shocked here as well. Example: FBI nailed many gangs by tapping their telephones. WHAT? In my part of the world nobody would tell you by phone things that could incriminate him. If you talk by phone, you feel there like if you would talk in a crowded place: you KNOW that other can listen to it. For an American, this is paranoia, for a Soviet, Polish etc. this is the way of life. Piotr Berman