orb@whuts.UUCP (SEVENER) (12/20/85)
Jim Matthews is determined to distort or refuse to accept the facts to suit his ideology. Here is another example: > > tim sevener > Jim Matthews > > > >Some of the people in the government now were those sent to Labor camps > >under Stalin. Those people do not wish to return to such a system. > > No, few of those people are still around, and even fewer are in > any position of influence. Stalin's lasting influence is in the fact that > the Brezhnev-Andropov-Gromyko generation got their jobs as a result of the > purges. It is thus no wonder that these same men have presided over a > partial rehabilitation of Stalin's name. As I previously pointed out 7 to 8 million were released from the Gulags after Stalin's death. This is a very large number especially when one considers that all of them had relatives and friends who were not direct victims of Stalin but suspect because of their relation to prisoners. Again I will quote from Stephen Cohen: "These demands of so many surviving victims had enormous political implications, if only because exoneration and restitution were official admissions of colossal official crimes. Still more, some victims demanded a full public exposure of the crimes and even punishment of those responsible. In addition to its size and passion for justice, the community of victims had direct and indirect access to the high leadership. Returnees from the camps became members and even heads of various Party commissions set up after 1953 to investigate the Gulag system, the question of rehabilitation, and specific crimes of the Stalin years. (One such commission contributed to Nikita Khruschev's anti-Stalin speeches to the Party congresses in 1956 and 1961.) Quite a few returnees resumed prominent positions in military, economic, scientific and cultural life. (Unlike those in Czechoslovakia, however, none rose to the high Party leadership.) Some returnees had personal access to repentant Stalinists in the leadership, such as Khruschev and Anastas Mikoyan, whom they lobbied and influenced." p.23-24 The Soviet Union Today Cohen points out that the issue of Stalinism has been a cutting point between reformers and conservatives. Since Gorbachev seems intent on reform it is likely he will try to gather support from the anti-Stalinists reform faction. Evidence that this may be true is evidenced by the speech by Yevgeny Yevtushenko this week in which he called for a relaxation of restrictions on cultural life as well as the revocation of special privileges for prominent artists as much as for other groups with special privileges. I think the best thing we can do for Soviet human rights is to respond to some of Gorbachev's arms control offers and improve trade relations. Gorbachev has taken some risks with his conciliatory positions and if these get no response from us he may either be forced out of power or forced to give way to the hardline Stalinists who still wield great power in the highest positions in the Communist party. A halt to the arms race and consequent military spending improves the chances that Gorbachev's reforms will be successful. tim sevener whuxn!orb