lew (11/16/82)
About ten years ago I bought a copy of "Khrushchev Remembers", but I just started reading it after Brezhnev died. (That's logical isn't it?) I guess I "knew" about Stalin's purges and the ruthlessness of the establishment of collectivism and so on, but it is easy to pass over these simple phrases without realizing their true import. Reading Khrushchev's matter-of-fact descriptions of these hellish goings on is absolutely blood curdling. It is chilling to realize that the current Soviet regime is the direct descendant of this rule, and is in fact essentially of the same nature now as then. The case is no different than it would be if we had come to some sort of truce with Hitler, and continued to deal with his successors. I know that most conservatives have never wavered from this position and remain, in fact, amazed that so many fail to see the obvious truth of it. Andropov emerging from the KGB to rule the nation gives added weight to these considerations. Do you suppose he's as bad as Beria? He could easily be! Don't begin to think that the mere advancement of years moves us to a new age. Another thought: I recently read, "Peter the Great", by Robert K. Massie, and I am really struck by how similar the methods of the Communists were to Peter's in instituting sweeping "reforms", conscripting labor and moving whole populaces for pet projects, and especially in building huge armies on the backs of a groaning nation. Is this more than coincidence? Lew Mammel, Jr. ihuxr!lew
bdp (11/17/82)
Subject: re: Thoughts on Russia Reading Khrushchev's matter-of-fact descriptions of these hellish goings on is absolutely blood curdling. It is chilling to realize that the current Soviet regime is the direct descendant of this rule, and is in fact essentially of the same nature now as then. The case is no different than it would be if we had come to some sort of truce with Hitler, and continued to deal with his successors. I know that most conservatives have never wavered from this position and remain, in fact, amazed that so many fail to see the obvious truth of it. Lew Mammel, Jr. ihuxr!lew Yes, it does seem unfortunate that the US continues to have relations with those murderous commies. Of course, then there is *our* adventurism in Vitenam, Cambodia, Chile, and El Salvador. To be consistent, perhaps we should reconsider relations with ourselves. Moral: there are no innocents in international politics. Bruce Parker BTL Pissthataway
thomas (11/19/82)
There was a very interesting article in The Atlantic this month about the US's love/hate relationship with Russia. The author's contention is that the US reaction to Soviet actions does not depend very much on those actions, but on random domestic political factors. The Russia which Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan hate so much is basically the same Russia which Richard Nixon, et al "loved". =Spencer
geo (11/21/82)
In ihuxr.206 Lew mentions the book "Kruschov Remembers". I was discussing this book, which I read as a teenager with some friends of mine who are in Political Science. They were under the impression that everyone knew it to be a fraud. Geo Swan Integrated Studies University of Waterloo