The title refers to the iconography of the KGB. The shield signified protecting the country and the sword to smite her enemies. Mention the KGB and you immediately elicit a response from people about these heavy-weight Russian types who kicked in doors and sent people to the gulag.
Born in 1922, one Vasili Nikitich Mitrokhin became a Soviet foreign intelligence officer in 1948, at the time with the MGB. This organization would eventually become the KGB. His initial service was during the Stalinist paranoia. In 1953 Khrushchev ousted Beria from the control of the MGB. A new era arrived.
Vasili Mitrokhin thought things were going to improve. They did, but hardly enough to allow for some of his more outspoken criticisms of the service. In retaliation he was sent to the basement archives, there to tend to ALL the KGB records. When the service moved to it’s newer location outside of Moscow, Mitrokhin became the only person who approved the boxing and transport and storage of all files to the new location.
By 1972 Mitrokhin had become assured that much of the secret stuff in the files was information the people of Russia ought to know. He began copying files, something he continued to do right up to his retirement in 1986. In 1992 he saw a possibility to get to Finland, where he contacted British intelligence (SIS). Over a few trips wherein he brought some of his archives, he was finally approved and defected with his family and all the rest of the archives via Finland to England, where he is now a citizen.
The archives he brought have been detailed in a book by the same title as the heading of this piece. They are (to me) fascinating reading, although they may not be so to others. ONE thing, though, that sticks out like a sore thumb is the general conspiracy theory attitude of first the Cheka under Lenin, then the MGB under Stalin, and subsequently ALL the Russian intelligence services. One would think at some point reality would soak in, but even with the collapse of the old USSR there doesn’t seem to be much real change in the attitude of the FSB.
?So why all the words. Well, compare what little I have said (there’s LOTS more!) to the behavior of today’s Left. They are totally immersed in conspiracy theory from one end to the other. Racheal Maddow’s meltdown is only the latest, and maybe funniest, example, but the whole Left is just overflowing with theories about the Russians hacking the election to cause Hillary to lose. It simply defies all rational thinking. I realize the Right was invested in Benghazi, but at least there there were 4 bodies and a general lack of any rational action on the incident. As at the school in Beslan the pols were knowledgeable but frozen in place; none wanted to take ANY responsibility, and that included Obama.
?So why is it that the Left so mimics the KGB.
Here is an Amazon link to the book.
https://www.amazon.com/Sword-Shield-Mitrokhin-Archive-History/dp/0465003109/
Dev, how hard a read is this?
Not sure what you like or don’t like. It is basically 565 pages of history, complete with footnotes and attributes.
I tend to read several books at a time. I can read this a while, then switch to something mindless, then back. But you do have to “settle” into it. So I guess it’s a bit of a tough read.
Is there anyone of the Left, I wonder, who knows ‘where all the bodies are buried’ as Mitrohkin did? And has the moral fiber to expose it?
Of course, Assange fits the bill in some ways, but his exposes are indiscriminate, seemingly without moral direction.
Great article Dev.
Very interesting! Can somebody post a link to Maddow’s meltdown? I’d like to see it.
“moral direction”
How quaint.
This book is on my list; I hope to get to it in a couple of years. I have seen it highly recommended by people who were involved in the spook stuff during the cold war.
The paranoia of single-party governments is almost palpable. Starting with Lenin, there have been a constant theme running through the USSR of plots by the Western Powers to attack the Soviets. While the system is somewhat different now, it isn’t enough different to necessarily change the behavior nor the psychosis of any single-party system.
So beginning with Lenin and continuing onward, there has been a constant exhortation of the Cheka/KGB/FSB to find the plot of the Western Powers (or the USA) to attack the Soviets/Russia.
To me, this is directly comparable to the Left’s current obsession with Trump as fascist/Hitler/tyrant. Note that ALL the stories are, “There is a possibility” or a “suggestion” or “One can imagine…” No where is there a shred of even possible proof. No where is there even an iota of reality. Look at congress, running off to “investigate” the “Russian hacks of our ‘election process’.” It is laughable. ?Aren’t there WAY too many IMPORTANT things congress should be doing to waste their time with this.