Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!husc6!lloyd!kent
From: kent@lloyd.camex.uucp (Kent Borg)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Soviet Access to Usenet
Keywords: Espionage arpanet
Message-ID: <274@lloyd.camex.uucp>
Date: 29 Nov 88 18:11:21 GMT
References: <8081@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <2672@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> <348@kps.UUCP> <2304@ficc.uu.net> <957@tank.uchicago.edu>
Reply-To: kent@lloyd.UUCP (Kent Borg)
Organization: Camex, Inc., Boston, Mass USA
Lines: 50

In article <957@tank.uchicago.edu> daryl@arthur.UUCP (Daryl McLaurine) writes:
>In article <2304@ficc.uu.net> peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
>~	Country		Internal	External
>~			(spycatchers)	(spys)
>~	USSR		KGB		GRU
>
>I thought that it was the other way around...

I thought: KGB handles most internal security, KGB and GRU both
adventure externally, the difference being who controls them. GRU is
military intelligence (sic) and more ruthless.

[Legend (heard it on NPR once) has it that an orientation film for new
GRU recrewts shows captured GRU defectors being burned alive for their
sins.  Just because I am for a USENET feed to the USSR don't assume I
think the Soviets all sweetness and light .]

Seems one of the underlying arguments in this whole debate is that if
we in the West read postings and mail from the Soviet Union we might
begin to think of the Soviet Union as being populated by people.  This
prospect frightens some of us mightily, just think, if this happened a
few more of us might not blindly support the continuation of the Cold
War.

Face it folks, the Cold War is almost over.  Gorby is getting much
better international press than Ronny or George/Skippy, we are going
to have to call it off pretty soon.  That doesn't mean we start
selling arms to the USSR or giving them the plans to the Shuttle (I
wonder if their's blows up?).  It simply means that it is time to look
for ways to gradually lessen tensions, not try to squeeze, prod,
insult, and threaten.

A new USENET feed will either be open to individuals in the USSR,
people with whom we have no quarrel, or it will be confined to
`officials', people who actually have a little power, people who will
be corrupted by the talk of 25 MHz '386 machines.

Either way tensions are lowered, both sides win more than either side
looses.  That upsets people.

Kent Borg
kent@lloyd.uupc
or
hscfvax!lloyd!kent

P.S. It is a bit disturbing to know that I now am listed in the files
of the NSA.  That this exercising of my right to free speach might
very well be held against me if ever I need a security clearance.  I'm
sure a lot of you are glad the USA is being protected from people like
me.