Path: utzoo!attcan!lsuc!ncrcan!aimed!nick
From: nick@aimed.UUCP (Nick Pemberton)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Soviet access to USENET
Keywords: a general flame
Message-ID: <37@aimed.UUCP>
Date: 28 Nov 88 22:55:46 GMT
Organization: AIM, Inc, Toronto, Ontario
Lines: 35

I've remained silent so far on this latest 'big' issue, but I just
can't any longer. The whole question of 'letting' someone or some
group or some organization, or even ..... some country ..... seems
rather silly. It is simply a matter of finding anyone, in any part of
the world, who will give you the feed. Hell, if you can afford the
long distance, Someone in say RIO could get a feed directly from me.

USENET, as someone so clearly said, is an anarchy. Who cares if folks in
one country don't want their 'rivals' on the net. Somewhere, someone will
let them on, and I'm sure they is no law preventing it, worldwide.

USENET is no longer an AMERICAN network. It is worldwide, wonderfully so, 
and is very likely that other countries in the world would love to have the
soviets on board.

USENET is a public network. Public to the entire world. Fears of releasing
national secrets seem rather silly in this light, and anyone doing so on
USENET should be suitably thrashed whether the soviets are on the net or
not.

Finally, the Soviet culture and history and viewpoint is very different from
North America, as different as is china's, or Egypt's or ... I, for one, would
be facinated by the input that would come from them. How can anyone not be
interested in learning something new? Well, maybe that shouldn't be
answered, from some of the postings I've seen, I think I already know.

Let 'em on. It could only be a good thing for all of us.

Nick

-- 

Nick Pemberton                   UUCP: !{utzoo,utai}!lsuc!aimed!nick
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