Briefing note: US Deputy Secretary Of State meeting with Andrei Gromyko (1985)

Post by rtpg » Thu, Dec 03, 2020, 8:55 AM UTC

ncmncm wrote: post #9

I have to guess that the extreme tongue-in-cheek quality of the whole presentation played on the expectation that the Soviets would have access to this, themselves, before the meeting, and would find it very difficult to read between the lines and know what it was really saying. More likely it was meant entirely for the Soviets' amusement/confusion, that they would have been obliged to pretend they had not seen, and…

Post by boomboomsubban » Thu, Dec 03, 2020, 9:15 AM UTC

Post by angry_octet » Thu, Dec 03, 2020, 10:07 AM UTC

rtpg wrote: post #11

ncmncm wrote: post #9

I have to guess that the extreme tongue-in-cheek quality of the whole presentation played on the expectation that the Soviets would have access to this, themselves, before the meeting, and would find it very difficult to read between the lines and know what it was really saying. More likely it was meant entirely for the Soviets' amusement/confusion, that they would have been obliged to pretend they had not seen, and…

The simplest explanation is that people in the US gov't act and believe this kind of stuff. It aligns with every piece of leaked private correspondence from these people, as well as public statements at the time and now. If anything the last 4 years (mostly composed of "professional politicians" despite those at the top maybe being outsiders!) should be real "mask off" to the supposed genius and amazing tradecraft of…

Post by commentrix » Thu, Dec 03, 2020, 10:24 AM UTC

angry_octet wrote: post #15

rtpg wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The simplest explanation is that people in the US gov't act and believe this kind of stuff. It aligns with every piece of leaked private correspondence from these people, as well as public statements at the time and now. If anything the last 4 years (mostly composed of "professional politicians" despite those at the top maybe being outsiders!) should be real "mask off" to the supposed genius and amazing tradecraft of…

It is striking how moronic and ill informed it is. When I think of all Ambassadors with grace and favour appointments it makes me grimace. The extraordinary testimony from Fiona Hill and Alex Vindman was at least reassuring that competent people were in government, even if they were being ignored.

Post by p_l » Thu, Dec 03, 2020, 10:31 AM UTC

retSava wrote: post #6

terramex wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...but it sure reads like one. > If Soviets dismantle all SS–20s, we are willing to airbrush out Gorbachev’s birthmark in US photographs

I wonder if that's some kind of cheeky remark internal between the SoS and the assistant, or if there was actually a real thought to do this. Ofc, cheap price, but seriously? Did they believe Gorbachev (spelling) was that vain? Was he? edit: also, "make the world safe for conventional warfare". Hmpf.