that's what we wanted you to think!
I've been reading more and more about the Soviet Union, and I'm starting to wonder whether it's really gone for good.
9 months before the fall of the Soviet Union, there was a referendum voted on in the Soviet states about whether or not to dissolve the Union. 78% voted not to dissolve it... Fearing actual democracy, and under pressure from Western powers, Yeltsin dissolved it anyways. People still look more favorably on the Soviet Union in Russia and elsewhere, as opposed to the free market which has been imposed on them. And why shouldn't they?
Most of the property that had been collectively owned through the state was divied up among the financial elites. The state no longer gave the kinds of subsidies it had to artists, scientists, researchers, etc. Poverty is up by at least 30%. Anything you want to judge it by, the former Soviet States have not been faring too well. Russia's economy tanked, and experienced an economic crash worse than the Great Depression in 1998. Life expectancy has gone down, and things have generally been much worse than when the Soviet Union existed.
This is not to say the system they had was perfect, in any way. However, the Soviet Union existed as a counter example to the free market capitalism that is embodied in the dominant instutions of today. The World Bank, IMF, and WTO exist as anti-democratic, unaccountable forces that drive private interests at the cost of social services and general well-being of people.
Some may say it was a triumph for democracy. Whose democracy? Boris Yeltsin, as the new president of Russia, was a very strong proponent of radical privatization, and he immediately began implementing his policies. He enacted these policies by announcing that he was going to rule by decree. This bypassed the elected Congress, and anyone looking at it would probably be able to see that this was an incredibly un-democratic move. It was undemocratic not only politically, but economically, because he was moving to take away economic power from socialized production and put it into private hands. In 1993, the Congress finally had enough, and officially declared Yeltsin deposed and appointed an acting president. So what did Yeltsin do, that bright light bringing democracy to the country? Bombed parliament.
This was obviously in violation of the Constitution....
So when people say that the Soviet Union needed to go because it was a dictatorship, they are lying. It was much more democratic before it was forcibly dissolved. The government was much more accountable to the people of the country pre-1991. However, they were not accountable to the forces of free market capitalism. So they mean that the RIGHT kind of dictator was not in power.
I started this off by questioning whether it's gone for good, so I guess I should get back to that. A few things show some promise in Russia right now. For one, they're looking to set gas-prices, which could be a step away from marketization back to a more planned economy. Another is their opposition to the Iraq war, especially since had they participated it would have been devastating. Remember the cold war? They've still got all that stuff.
But what has given me hope recently is this:
Russia's alliance with Venezuela. I'm a very big Chavez fan, and I think that they are definitely going in a positive direction. I also like that we have a new, strong force opposing US imperialism. However, based on the coup in 2002, and the increasing hostility of the US State department towards Venezuela, I would not doubt that if we ever get out of Iraq, it's off to Venezuela. I'm not sure if they're still doing it, but I know that last year we had a number of battleships stationed off the coast of Venezuela, making everyone there very nervous. This has led the country to begin arming the citizens and military in case there is an invasion. Unlike US military spending, Venezuela has been purchasing the essentials. Last summer they purchased 100,000 Kalashnikov submachine guns, and used them to form local citizen's militia's. I forget the quote, but he said if the US invades, they'll turn Venezuela into another Vietnam. Who supplied those guns? Russia, a move which did not make the US government very happy. They've also supplied Chavez with helicopters and combat missiles. If the US messes with Venezuela, I wouldn't be surprised if the lines would be drawn, and Russia chooses Venezuela.
So I think it's about time for Russia to realize that maybe privatization and free-market capitalism weren't the best ideas, and develop a new socialist system along with Venezuela and the other members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas. The time to pick sides is now, and I hope Russia is leaning towards opposition to capitalism and US imperialism.
Come back and crush capitalism, Lenin!
(Interesting sidenote: I looked at the Wikipedia entry about modern Russia, and one of the great achievements of privatization was t.A.T.u. Do they really consider that an achievement? I can't figure out if someone added that as a joke, and people have just left it there.)
9 months before the fall of the Soviet Union, there was a referendum voted on in the Soviet states about whether or not to dissolve the Union. 78% voted not to dissolve it... Fearing actual democracy, and under pressure from Western powers, Yeltsin dissolved it anyways. People still look more favorably on the Soviet Union in Russia and elsewhere, as opposed to the free market which has been imposed on them. And why shouldn't they?
Most of the property that had been collectively owned through the state was divied up among the financial elites. The state no longer gave the kinds of subsidies it had to artists, scientists, researchers, etc. Poverty is up by at least 30%. Anything you want to judge it by, the former Soviet States have not been faring too well. Russia's economy tanked, and experienced an economic crash worse than the Great Depression in 1998. Life expectancy has gone down, and things have generally been much worse than when the Soviet Union existed.
This is not to say the system they had was perfect, in any way. However, the Soviet Union existed as a counter example to the free market capitalism that is embodied in the dominant instutions of today. The World Bank, IMF, and WTO exist as anti-democratic, unaccountable forces that drive private interests at the cost of social services and general well-being of people.
Some may say it was a triumph for democracy. Whose democracy? Boris Yeltsin, as the new president of Russia, was a very strong proponent of radical privatization, and he immediately began implementing his policies. He enacted these policies by announcing that he was going to rule by decree. This bypassed the elected Congress, and anyone looking at it would probably be able to see that this was an incredibly un-democratic move. It was undemocratic not only politically, but economically, because he was moving to take away economic power from socialized production and put it into private hands. In 1993, the Congress finally had enough, and officially declared Yeltsin deposed and appointed an acting president. So what did Yeltsin do, that bright light bringing democracy to the country? Bombed parliament.
This was obviously in violation of the Constitution....
So when people say that the Soviet Union needed to go because it was a dictatorship, they are lying. It was much more democratic before it was forcibly dissolved. The government was much more accountable to the people of the country pre-1991. However, they were not accountable to the forces of free market capitalism. So they mean that the RIGHT kind of dictator was not in power.
I started this off by questioning whether it's gone for good, so I guess I should get back to that. A few things show some promise in Russia right now. For one, they're looking to set gas-prices, which could be a step away from marketization back to a more planned economy. Another is their opposition to the Iraq war, especially since had they participated it would have been devastating. Remember the cold war? They've still got all that stuff.
But what has given me hope recently is this:
Russia's alliance with Venezuela. I'm a very big Chavez fan, and I think that they are definitely going in a positive direction. I also like that we have a new, strong force opposing US imperialism. However, based on the coup in 2002, and the increasing hostility of the US State department towards Venezuela, I would not doubt that if we ever get out of Iraq, it's off to Venezuela. I'm not sure if they're still doing it, but I know that last year we had a number of battleships stationed off the coast of Venezuela, making everyone there very nervous. This has led the country to begin arming the citizens and military in case there is an invasion. Unlike US military spending, Venezuela has been purchasing the essentials. Last summer they purchased 100,000 Kalashnikov submachine guns, and used them to form local citizen's militia's. I forget the quote, but he said if the US invades, they'll turn Venezuela into another Vietnam. Who supplied those guns? Russia, a move which did not make the US government very happy. They've also supplied Chavez with helicopters and combat missiles. If the US messes with Venezuela, I wouldn't be surprised if the lines would be drawn, and Russia chooses Venezuela.
So I think it's about time for Russia to realize that maybe privatization and free-market capitalism weren't the best ideas, and develop a new socialist system along with Venezuela and the other members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas. The time to pick sides is now, and I hope Russia is leaning towards opposition to capitalism and US imperialism.
Come back and crush capitalism, Lenin!
(Interesting sidenote: I looked at the Wikipedia entry about modern Russia, and one of the great achievements of privatization was t.A.T.u. Do they really consider that an achievement? I can't figure out if someone added that as a joke, and people have just left it there.)