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.