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That's his perception and what (if this story is fully true) led him to take that particular option. The alternative and smarter choice would have been to walk

That's his perception and what (if this story is fully true) led him to take that particular option. The alternative and smarter choice would have been to walk straight into his commander, tell them what happened, pass it up the chain to Estonian Counter Intelligence, deal with the short/medium term repurcussions and live a normal life. This stuff happens all the time in business and government. Though it seems like it, it's actually not a massive deal to report this stuff, it's why counter intelligence exists (or corporate security in the business context). I would guess and say there have probably been dozens of times in Estonia alone when people took the smart option and reported things.

bilbo0s 7y ago
And that's why he is likely being less than entirely forthcoming with his story. There's very likely something more to it, though the world may never know what it is.
scarejunba 7y ago
Well, he doesn’t know it’s an intelligence op at that time, right? He’s only overwhelmed and doesn’t actually know what cooperation means. They’re subverting the same instinct that people in America have which needs to be protected by “Don’t talk to the police” which is “you’ve done nothing wrong. Just be upfront and we’ll help you out”. Then as time passes, the hold constricts around him. An allegation of rape will have finished off his career. No doubt about it. Take the Assange situation, then add an actual video of him having sex. Even if it were obviously not a single cut, enough people will hate him for it. “It’s a GRU op” people will be treated as conspiracy theorists. I’m not saying the Assange situation is like this (that he was entrapped) to be clear, but the reactions you read online to that will be similar to what this man would have received had the video been made public. On the up-side, he wouldn’t have been imprisoned for spying against his country. On the downside, his blossoming career would have ended. But in the moment, the upside seems unlikely, rare and far off. The downside is immediate. The upside is subject to hyperbolic discounting. The reason I doubt the theory of “this happens quietly many times” is that KAPO would be aware of the strategy and would have every incentive to inoculate Estonians about it, and to crow about their native heroes who escaped Russian clutches. Instead they only allowed revealing of the strategy via a caught spy.
rolltiide 7y ago
> That's his perception and what (if this story is fully true) led him to take that particular option. “Let me go buy this women flowers at her chosen room in a sex motel” I also felt like this story was retroactively one-sided At the same time I couldnt imagine BORDERING a hostile but interrelated country so easily With prostitution throughout Europe also being so readily available and streamlined especially back when this story happened It sucks he got caught in this particular mix

bilbo0s 7y ago

And that's why he is likely being less than entirely forthcoming with his story. There's very likely something more to it, though the world may never know what it is.

scarejunba 7y ago

Well, he doesn’t know it’s an intelligence op at that time, right? He’s only overwhelmed and doesn’t actually know what cooperation means. They’re subverting the same instinct that people in America have which needs to be protected by “Don’t talk to the police” which is “you’ve done nothing wrong. Just be upfront and we’ll help you out”. Then as time passes, the hold constricts around him. An allegation of rape will have finished off his career. No doubt about it. Take the Assange situation, then add an actual video of him having sex. Even if it were obviously not a single cut, enough people will hate him for it. “It’s a GRU op” people will be treated as conspiracy theorists. I’m not saying the Assange situation is like this (that he was entrapped) to be clear, but the reactions you read online to that will be similar to what this man would have received had the video been made public. On the up-side, he wouldn’t have been imprisoned for spying against his country. On the downside, his blossoming career would have ended. But in the moment, the upside seems unlikely, rare and far off. The downside is immediate. The upside is subject to hyperbolic discounting. The reason I doubt the theory of “this happens quietly many times” is that KAPO would be aware of the strategy and would have every incentive to inoculate Estonians about it, and to crow about their native heroes who escaped Russian clutches. Instead they only allowed revealing of the strategy via a caught spy.

rolltiide 7y ago

> That's his perception and what (if this story is fully true) led him to take that particular option. “Let me go buy this women flowers at her chosen room in a sex motel” I also felt like this story was retroactively one-sided At the same time I couldnt imagine BORDERING a hostile but interrelated country so easily With prostitution throughout Europe also being so readily available and streamlined especially back when this story happened It sucks he got caught in this particular mix