Cross-Frontier Relationships

Abstract

The previous chapter distinguished between better informed and less well informed groups in the Soviet population. The better informed group clearly includes a part of the intelligentsia, but is not conterminous with the intelligentsia, a substantial fraction of which has no interests outside its specialisation and little knowledge of the outside world. The better informed group also includes some citizens without particular intellectual pretensions, but whose professional experience has made them aware of facts or opinions which are concealed from the mass of the population. These include sailors, airline personnel, minor diplomatic staff and others. The better informed, therefore, do not comprise any coherent body of people, and they are mostly unrecognisable to one another and lacking any common forum. The government and Party doubtless intend that things shall stay that way. Nevertheless, the better informed group comprises a constituency which sets it apart from the mass of the Soviet people.KeywordsSecret SharingSecret InformationDisclosure PolicyEast European CountrySoviet CitizenThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.