Quote:
“These are the discussion questions for THE SECRETS OF BLETCHLEY PARK. Feel free to answer any or all of them.
2. What do you think could have been the catastrophic consequences of leaking information to the Russians?”
how much detail...to give.....
I think its something about the alliance between the British and the Russian communist state, was always uneasy. So there was always a fear about how they would use the information.
and then of course there is always the possibility that the Nazi army would defeat the Russian Bear and the information would fall into enemy hands.
I also am intrigued to wonder how much of this code was used after the war by the British? during the subsequent cold war etc? Id assume it was being used until the advent of digital communications? hence the post war need for secrecy at all costs?
There were also undercurrents in the book, about the distaste to share the information gleaned at Bletchley with our American cousins......
Quote:
“The following two questions can be considered together or separately
3. One Bletchley codebreaker stated that the codes he worked on were passed on to another section and he wasn't curious as it wasn't any of his business. Is this a peculiarly British trait of the time or do you think it would hold true today? Does this 'Britishness' exist today?
4. The silence surrounding Bletchley Park was considered bery British. Neal Achison, whose sister worked at Bletchley thinks we wouldn't be able to keep such silence today. Do you agree? Why?”
I think this is a fascinating question.....and I honestly am not sure of the answer...
cos I dont know how people would react .....to some extent all the staff at bletchley had no real idea of the purpose behind their codebreaking, they were just performing a mundane task, of virtually number juggling. And a lot of people still do jobs like this, and if something seems routine and you dont understand its purpose....I do think the majority of people just do it without question,......
And I think this part is still true today.....think of the receptionist etc in the health service routinely collecting, collating and entering the same information...or a telesales operator.....going through the same script ...phone call after phone call....not caring at all about what the person on the end of the phone thinks, but just doing a routine task .....
I think if you dress up a task carefully enough.......most people will just do it...without questioning the motives or reasoning behind it.....
I think it would be harder to set something like Bletchley park up today, in a country like England, where we are much more aware of our neighbours than we were 50 years ago.....
and there is more likelihood of someone being a whistle blower and uncovering exactly what was going on....
but Britain was at war....and under obvious attack, so im sure this also affected how discreet and oblivious people could be... And also everyone who worked there had signed the official secrets act. so they all knew to some extent how important it was to keep silent.....
And im not actually sure, that I believe the writer about how discreet everyone was.....im sure to some extent , the work at Bletchley park was a bit of an open secret......
But it was in everyones interests to keep quiet.
I wonder if there are still groups operating today, under the restrictions of the official secrets banner, who officially cant mention what they are doing?
It brings into question the whole x files kind of scenario, about what is going on behind closed doors in places like area 51 ?
Quote:
“5. At Bletchley Park the codebreakers started musical societies, discovered art etc. What would the codebreakers of today do for leisure?
6. In today's multicultural Britain, do you think a film could stir the current generation to the patriotism of the Bletchley codebreakers?
7. Could the current generation rise to the challenge of Bletchley, considering the concentration and patience involved?
8. At the time the first codebreakers were recruited from the upper classes. Why? Who would the first people to be recruited today do you think?
9. After reading the book, what was your overall impression? Did it help you have a better understanding of the period? How?
To make things easier, please head your post Book Group Discussion [/b].
Thanks to everyone for bumping this post. I hope you found the book interesting reading.”
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I know she has stilt walker trained on her profile but I think muggins is right when she says she's a 'glow girl'. I feel like a stalker.
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