One
of Graham Greene's most interesting predictions, somehow prescient and
unsound at the same time, was the notion that the Soviet Union would
cease to be a problem once the KGB had taken control of it.
The
Russian intelligence services were, he surmised, individuals selected
for their own elite intellectual capacities and pragmatism. They would
displace the nutty Marxist ideologues and all would be well in the
world.
He neglected to account for the possibility of tumefied greed and territorial covetousness amongst said pragmatists.
The
author had perhaps had some direct suggestions of doveishness within
the KGB via his correspondence with Kim Philby who wrote to Greene that
the invasion of Afghanistan was an "infernal business" and that most of
his new colleagues in Russian intelligence were opposed to it. These
letters were passed to MI6 and it seems that Philby's former colleagues
were inclined to believe him. (similar sentiments may have prevailed after Putin's recent push west.)
One
of the most intriguing exchanges between Greene and Philby followed on
from the SALT II treaty between the US and the USSR. Greene suggested
that this might be the ideal moment for the two superpowers to form a
joint alliance against Iran. Philby noted how bonkers the Ayatollah was
and that he would pass the suggestion on to the 'pragmatists'.
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