ecn-ec:ecn-pc:ecn-ed:joslin@pur-ee.UUCP (09/08/83)
"One begins to wonder if perhaps we've been conned by the edited transcripts we've been fed." Perhaps, as I for one do not speak Russian and am forced to take the 'official' translation as gospel. However, it's easier to believe that we've been conned into believing that the peace-loving Soviet government would never, ever do anything as violent and irrational as attack a civilian airliner. All the evidence is plainly against it- just look at the contributions to peace they've made in Angola, Afghanistan, and Poland. As for the 'NEARLY irrefutable' evidence that the Soviets should have known that it was a civilian plane- so what? The Soviets are not in a declared state of war. If a reasonable doubt existed, is shooting down an intruder a morally defensible act? Paul Joslin