Remember the 10 Russian spies that were recently returned to The Motherland? The people who had their lifestyles at least partially funded by the government that sent them over here to gather secrets?
Putin just said that they lived “tough lives”.
I think I’m tough enough to sign up for such duty. Just throwing it out there in case the US government has plans to send me off to a foreign land where I can shop, live in a nice house, go to cocktail parties, and fail to dig up any information that can’t be easily found with a 10 second Google search.
But you will have to learn foreign language as you own! Think in it, live it! You know, like millions of legitimate immigrants, although you’ll have the state-funded training by native speakers from an early childhood.
And have no diplomatic immunity from the laws. Think about it – if you steal, kill or get the speeding ticket – you will have to face the consequences!. Are oyu sure you’re ready for such an ordeal?
I suppose we should be thankful that Russian intelligence isn’t the ruthless monster it used to be. If they really think this was a tough assignment they don’t have 1% of the testicular fortitude for evil the old KGB had.
I am not sure that the russian ring was a very serious spying effort from Russia’s secret service. I just can’t take it seriously at all. When I see so disparately different characters like Anna Chapman, Richard and Cynthia Murphy and Vicky Pelaez all working for the russian secret service I get a feeling the entire thing it’s either a huge prank. I cannot imagine how a powerful state as russia will ever confide such lofty effort to people like that.
Are the Russian secret services that bad? I think they risk losing their mojo!
I still wonder why the quick exchange. There are other theories.
By the way, whoever mentioned Between Silk and Cyanide, a few weeks ago, thanks.
“But you will have to learn foreign language as you own! “
I talk that English gooder enough to pass. Aussie-land would be a best fit for me, so I won’t have to learn any of that “pounds Sterling” money system crap. I mean, why can’t the British just use dollars like they did in Hong Kong?
“I am not sure that the russian ring was a very serious spying effort from Russia’s secret service. I just can’t take it seriously at all.”
They paid some money to both set this up, and keep it going. And when it started, money was seriously short in the former Evil Empire.
Which isn’t to say that anyone can take it seriously. I’m with you on that.
Remember that at least one of them went to the Kennedy School and was known as the fellow who kept in touch with all of his classmates – including the former President of Mexico. They might not have had a lot of good intelligence to send along to Moscow, but as “Agents of Influence” they didn’t seem to have done so poorly.
Among the “spies” there was a certain Vicky Pelaez, she wrote for some very biased pro-castro, pro-chavez journals and newspapers. Her writings always instil a very heavy-handed form of anti-americanism, she writes from her guts, from her hatred of what the United States represents more than from any other sort of real analysis or thought. One could say there is no ideology there, just hatred.
You can read her writings (in spanish) here http://worldcantwait-la.com/escritos-de-vicky-pelaez.htm
She took her militant anti-american pseudo-journalism too far: She carried out spy missions for Moscow.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/07/01/2010-07-01_accused_russian_spy_juan_lazaro_confesses_moscow_loyalty_says_wife_vicky_pelaez_.html
Yet, for her anti-american raves and rants, this so called “journalist” lives in New York City, and now, facing deportation, she is trying to fight it in court to remain in the United States, the country which opened its doors not only to her but to her children and husband. Yet, for all the evils she described about that nation, she wants to live her life there, not in Cuba, no in Moscow, not in Venezuela, she wants to stay in New York forever.
Please don´t let her do that.