Re: Soviet balance sheet

[Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol@xxxxxxx>]

At 05:09 PM 3/31/98 -0400, Richardo Duchesne wrote:
>Collateral damage?!  Stalin's crimes, and of the Communist Party
>under him, were not "collateral" (citation marks or not). Neither
>were they mere economic costs. They were part of a *political*
>process of amassing absolute power, the likes of which history
>had never seen before. Collectivization, the policy of mass starvation
>against the Ukraine, and the great Terror were not necessary "costs"
>of economic development. The were pure crimes agaisnt
>humanity committed by a self-styled communist state. And there is no
>"balace sheet" agaisnt such crimes. ricardo


Well, such moral judgments can be made of virtually any leadership , and I
do not think they further our understanding of the dynamics of power in
Russia.  I do not think the Russia's history took the course it did
solelely because Stalin was a swine.  That is a 'great men history" in
reverse.  I'm not trying to defend Stalin, just put things into perspective
and get off high moral grounds.

Sorry but I have to teach in about 15 minutes and I cannot write a more
thorough reply.

regards,
Wojtek