Mother Russia

[mikras]

Communism doesn't work so why did Russia do it. It is impossible to have a classless society...

[Mariboulg]

Would you say that Capitalism works ???

Whay did Russia do it ?

It is all politics.

[glock_girl]

Some might even say the same about democracy...

[ScherlykaMyn]

Hey Glocky, I need some information. I figured you may be able to help, and if you can't, I know someone else can. lol I need as much info. on Poland and Polish culture and language as possible. My bf wants to move there for a year, and I was considering going with him, but this won't happen until about two years from now. So I need to become as knowledgeable on the country as possible. Thanks girl!

If anyone else can help, my e-mail addy is Jackalou82@aol.com. I won't be able to check the boards very much, but I check my e-mail everyday. Thanks everyone!

I hope you're doing well, Amy!

[mikras]

Yes, they do work unlike communism. Look at the US for example. It is a major world power. I do understand that Russia has been screwed on many occasions from countries such as Great Britain and France but it still would have failed under Communism.

[Dr_Woland]

Hi Mikras

It's easy to be wise after the event, of course It needs to be remembered that prior to Communism in Russia they had Tsarism.

Under Tsarism, the huge majority of the Russian population were MUCH poorer and more enslaved than they were under Communism. For example, you mentioned Britain (where I'm from, btw)... in Britain, serfdom was abolished in 1215. In Russia, serfdom still existed, and servants and labourers could still be legally bought and sold at market like cattle... until 1883!! If you add into the equation the huge blunders the last Tsar, Nicholas II made, like:

# having peaceful unarmed demonstrators - asking for the bread-price to be lowered because they were starving - shot on Bloody Sunday by his own Palace Guard

# the disastrous Russian losses in WW1, where the men were treated like expendable cattle and died in tens of thousands...

# ... whilst meantime back at home, all of Russia was scandalisd that the Tsarina (a German!) was in charge whilst her husband was away fighting Germany, and she seemed under the hypnotic influence of Rasputin

# .., then famously she took food, boots, warm clothes and supplies off the supply-trains going to the Front, and put Mineral Water on the trains instead, because Rasputin told her too...

... you can see why people were ready to opt for a change!

Of course, they didn't choose Communism at first, there was a six-month period of Provisional Govt (democratically elected) but that all ended when the idiot Tsar backed a plan by the Army to storm the city and put him back on the throne. When the Russian people found their own Tsar had plotted to attack them with the Cavalry, you can imagine they didn't have much patience left.

No-one knew at that time what Communism would lead to, and in fact - if Lenin's New Economic Policy of 1924 had not been sabotaged by Stalin (Lenin was terminally ill and died the same year, too weak to resist Stalin's changes)- it might have had some positive results for the majority of Russian people... comparing with their economic and democratic position BEFORE the Revolution.

I don't excuse any of the wrongs of Communism committed later, and I am a great opponent of those wrongs. But you can't blame people in 1917 for choosing something that was MUCH better than what they had before.

Dr W.

[Mariboulg]

Hi, Dr_W:

How come you know so much about russian history ?
And you seem to speak good russian. How long are you living in Russia ? I am impressed !!!