KGB’s Newest Partner: Microsoft
I don’t even know whether they’re still called the KGB or not. Russian security forces have a new gimmick when they crack down on dissident organizations. Now they can say, “oh, this has nothing to do with human rights. We’re just looking for pirated copies of Microsoft software.”
OK, that clears that up.
An environmental group from Irkutsk (if you play Risk — yes, there really IS such a place!) called Baikal Environmental Wave is trying to protect Lake Baikal from pollution. Lake Baikal holds 20% of the world’s fresh water. Years’ worth of the group’s files were lost when the police carted off all of their computers.
All across Russia, dozens of dissident groups and opposition newspapers have had their computers confiscated by security forces for the same “reason” — Microsoft made us do it.
And Microsoft is working hand in hand with Russian security apparatchiks. They’ve been instigating these police raids, and then they refuse to help any of these groups when it turns out they DIDN’T have any pirated Microsoft programs.
A spokesperson for Baikal Environmental Wave says their group purchased brand new — legal — Microsoft software, specifically so the police couldn’t use the Microsoft ploy to steal their computers. A lot of good that did.
For some odd reason, Russian police never carry out these “Microsoft piracy” raids against organizations that AGREE with the government.
Coincidence?
Labels: Baikal Environmental Wave, Irkutsk, Microsoft pirated software, Microsoft Russian security forces
posted by Tom Harper @ 6:00 PM
7 Comments:
No shit Tom, I never heard of this one. I always suspected our every move was known. I know you wrote of Russia but can we be far behind?
Why not, they screwed with every other aspect of our life.
Keep your eyes open comrade it gets better.
Oh I think we're sliding back to the bad old days of Soviet Union. See my post today. Now it involves corporations who are pulling the strings.
Tim: I was pretty shocked to read about this in the Seattle Sunday paper. We're probably not far behind.
Demeur: Da Comrade! I'll check out your post.
Old habits die hard.
It seems quaint now, but for many years most Americans thought of police-state tactics in terms of communist countries first, with a few dictatorships or junta-run Latin American countries thrown in. Just goes to show you neocapitalist Republics can go that rout just as well, if their leaders are of a mind to.
SW: We've been brainwashed for generations to think of "communism" and "police state" as synonymous. When I was in the Navy there was a handbook called "Liberty versus Communism." Even a conservative petty officer thought that title was hilarious.
Russia and Chile (during Pinochet's reign) both showed that freemarket capitalism and a police state can co-exist just fine.
Tom, the KGB is now known as the FSB (Federal Security Bureau). The name is the only thing that has changed.
TC: Thanks for the info. And definitely nothing has changed besides the name.
Post a Comment
<< Home