ABSTRACT
In the 1960s there were attempts to publicly condemn the informants of the 1930s. The informer evinces dramatically the most vulgar psychological characteristics of a criminal. By honoring the act of informing, the powers that be achieved results different from those they had intended. Soviet power always needed political informers. Soviet ideology demanded allegiance to an authoritative set of beliefs, but this very allegiance is inherently undermined by informants. The informant's social situation is unstable; whether out of fear or in accordance with natural inclination, he takes the bait in which he invariably finds a hook. The informer has built his happiness on others' misfortune. In all utopian models of government an important role is assigned to informants for protecting the model from any encroachment that threatens to destroy it. Child informing was supplementary in terms of its practical use, but it was crucial for the education of future citizens.
