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 AIM, Inc Bus: (416) 429-4913 Home: (416) 690-0647