Re: The Cold War

[Andy Austin <soc40001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The outcome Lenin warned his fellow country men about 80 years ago --
the potential devolution of Russia from a semi-peripheral into a peripheral
nation, relegated to third-world status, her vast resources to be tapped
by the imperialist desires of Western corporate entities -- could be
facing the Russian people again.

Of course, one can make the argument that the rapid industrial progress
achieved under the Stalism has left Russia in a better position to
avoid the slide into semi-peripheral status once integrated fully into
the world-system. We will see.

But in the void left by the fall of Solidarity, Russians  -- in the
context of social systems -- are particularly vulnerable to the chaos of
the market. I think we can see this in the dramatic explosion in social
problems throughout the former Soviet states.

Will Russia shake out the kinks of her economic system? I don't know. But
we would all agree that the road ahead will be a difficult one to trod.

AWA