4 ms·

I've sometimes wondered how unique the United States is in its regular, official release of formerly secret documents on these sorts of subjects. I don't expec

I've sometimes wondered how unique the United States is in its regular, official release of formerly secret documents on these sorts of subjects. I don't expect the former Soviet Republics to have a Freedom of Information Act, nor to willingly release formerly secret documents to the public. So, while I'm sure there are a mountain of equally fascinating Cold Ware era places, equipment, and projects in the former Soviet Union, I suspect not nearly as many of them are known by the general public as are those of the United States. It's also fascinated me that for so many formerly secret things in the US, foreign intelligence agencies can simply look in the public record instead of having to do their own leg work and ferret them out on their own. Some nagging doubt remains in me that some of this sensitive information might still be useful to an American adversary, despite formal declassification review. Many other countries probably take no such chances.

adventured 6y ago
> Many other countries probably take no such chances. As a superpower the US is extraordinarily unusual in that regard. China is approximately a trillion times more secretive by comparison. You can find out vast amounts of information about US weapons systems, technology & IP, government agencies, employees, buildings, national agenda, states & related information, financial information is hyper transparent (both government and corporate), critical infrastructure (such as energy & utilities systems), white papers & super valuable research pouring out of our companies & universities & government agencies, and on it goes. As an example, just look at what NASA has pushed out into the global public sphere over the last 50 years. US elite technology companies are often open books about what they're doing, look at what Tesla and SpaceX allow to be revealed; look at how many of the biggest US tech companies open source their best tools (including Google & Facebook to name two), instead of trying to keep it all for themselves. There's a reason China has been pillaging US intellectual property and research so freely, it's all just sitting there for the taking, begging to be hoovered up. We share immensely with the world. I don't think we get much credit for doing it though, I think most of the world is oblivious to it at best.
yencabulator 6y ago
One difference is that the US has lots of land, and tends to abandon whole sites. If a European country has a secret cave or three, those caves will be kept secret even if their purpose changes. Source: Have been in one. No I can't tell you.

adventured 6y ago

> Many other countries probably take no such chances. As a superpower the US is extraordinarily unusual in that regard. China is approximately a trillion times more secretive by comparison. You can find out vast amounts of information about US weapons systems, technology & IP, government agencies, employees, buildings, national agenda, states & related information, financial information is hyper transparent (both government and corporate), critical infrastructure (such as energy & utilities systems), white papers & super valuable research pouring out of our companies & universities & government agencies, and on it goes. As an example, just look at what NASA has pushed out into the global public sphere over the last 50 years. US elite technology companies are often open books about what they're doing, look at what Tesla and SpaceX allow to be revealed; look at how many of the biggest US tech companies open source their best tools (including Google & Facebook to name two), instead of trying to keep it all for themselves. There's a reason China has been pillaging US intellectual property and research so freely, it's all just sitting there for the taking, begging to be hoovered up. We share immensely with the world. I don't think we get much credit for doing it though, I think most of the world is oblivious to it at best.

yencabulator 6y ago

One difference is that the US has lots of land, and tends to abandon whole sites. If a European country has a secret cave or three, those caves will be kept secret even if their purpose changes. Source: Have been in one. No I can't tell you.