Figure 1.--

The question of the role of Stalin and Communism in defeating NAZI Germany and saving Russia, as well as the rest of the Western world, is one that I have often considered. A Russian reader reviewing the HBC section on the Great Patriotic War questions whether America or other democratic nation could have sustained the devestation exprienced by the Soviet Union and continue to fight the NAZIs. Here is the message he submitted. Here in this message, he focused primarily on post-War reconstruction and modern Russia. The English text is a computer generated translation. As you know such translations are not very good so we need to work on the Enhlish text.

Russian Text

Я не говорю о том, что HBC только расхваливает Америку и американский образ жизни. У каждого народа своя жизнь, свои правила и свои законы. И, конечно, свои проблемы. Но, согласитесь со мной, что Америка не переживала таких потрясений какие переживала Россия и российский народ. Я знаю о депрессии в экономике Америки в 30-х годах прошлого века, но в остальное время вашему народу никто не мешал спокойно развиваться. У нас же было больше проблем за этот же период времени. Поэтому мы в настоящее время отстаем в развитии от вас. Не думайте, что в России живут одни алкоголики, которым наплевать на работу и лишь бы выпить водки. К сожалению такое представление о русских людях очень сильно распространено на западе. Это не так. Никто не хочет лишиться хорошей работы по причине того, что он алкоголик. А если человека увольняют с работы с такой пометкой, то устроиться вновь на хорошую работу ему будет трудно. Русские люди умеют и могут работать хорошо. Вспомните опять же историю. В войне мы потеряли около 26 миллионов человек, были разрушены или полностью уничтожены тысячи городов, сотни тысяч сел и деревень, Огромное количество различных промышленных предприятий, исчисляемой десятками и сотнями тысяч. Но в послевоенный период за короткий срок всё было восстановлено, построены новые города и села, новые заводы и фабрики вместо разрушенных. Далось это ценой неимоверных усилий всего народа. Может быть в то время стране был необходим как раз такой глава государства, каким был Иосиф Сталин. Я не оправдываю его преступлений перед народами СССР, но не думаю, что если бы в то время у нас в стране была демократия как сейчас, мы так быстро всё это восстановили. И в тот же период после войны мы сумели догнать Америку в ядерной области. Это всё уже давно стало историей. А сейчас мы живем в почти таком же разрушенном обществе, как после войны. Строить новое всегда не легко и требуется время. Нельзя за 500 дней перейти от социалистического общества к капиталистическому, как в 1991 году предлагал бывший премьер министром Гайдар. Тем более в такой стране как Россия. В нашей стране сильны установившиеся традиции. Русский народ не любит больших потрясений и долго раскачивается в таких случаях. Но если уж он поставит себе какую-то цель или увидит ее перспективы - практически будет трудно помешать ему добиться своего. А в настоящее время четких целей у нашего народа нет. Будущее расплывчато и непредсказуемо. Больше половины населения страны - люди жившие при коммунистическом правлении. Они не могут забыть лучшие его стороны и всё время сравнивают с настоящей действительностью. Они не могут понять почему то и дело растут цены в магазинах и на коммунальные услуги, а зарплаты и пенсии остаются на прежнем уровне. Они не могут понять, почему цена бензина достигла мирового уровня в стране обладающей огромными запасами нефти и добывающей ее, а при этом заработная плата у них порой ниже чем где-нибудь в развивающейся африканской стране. Деннис, в вашей стране минимальная заработная плата, меньше которой рабочему платить нельзя кажется около 6$ в час, а у нас она составляет 300 рублей в месяц. (Это примерно 10$ в месяц). У нас создалась такая ситуация, что цены в магазинах уже приблизились к мировым, в доходы населения остались на уровне СССР. Это не правильно и не нормально. Не правильно то, что кто-то еле еле сводит концы с концами, а кто-то покупает заграничные футбольные клубы. Купил бы наш, российский футбольный клуб, народ бы понял его и поддержал. В то время, когда эти деньги нужны на развитие своей страны, они уходят за границу. Привлекли некоторых богатых воров к суду за явный криминал, так западные средства массовой информации подняли шум, что у нас чуть ли не возврат к прежнему строю. В любой стране вор должен сидеть в тюрьме. Деннис, я сейчас не успею посмотреть те страницы которые вы написали. Сделаю это после небольшого перерыва, мне предстоит сейчас поездка с дочкой в другой город для сдачи экзаменов в университет. Когда вернусь то посмотрю тот материал о котором вы писали и сообщу свое мнение. Я пишу книги для детей среднего и старшего возраста. Разные приключения наподобие как в книгах Владислава Крапивина. Ещё немного пишу стихи, которые размещаю на одном из русскоязычных поэтических сайтах в интернете. Если хотите - дам ссылки на свои странички. Если это необходимо, то можете поместить мой адрес электронной почты на страницах с использованием моего имени. -- Victor Bogdanov

English Translation

Here is a computer generated translation of our Russian reader's e-mail message. The translation needs considrable work. We have added the praagraph headings to separate the different topics that our reader has raised.

America

I am not saying, that HBC praises only America and the American way of life. Each people has its own life, rules and laws. And, certainly, its problems. But, you will agree with me that America did not have to live through such upheavals as Russia and the Russian people. I know about the depression in the American economy in the 30's of the last century, but, other than this, no one has interfered with your people’s development.

Russia

We had more problems within this period. For this reason Russia still lags behind America in development. Do not imagine that in Russia there are only alcoholics, who do not give a damn about work and who only want to drink vodka. Unfortunately, this image of the Russian people is widespread in the West. It is not so. No one wants to lose work because of being an alcoholic. If a man is dismissed from the work for this reason, then it will be difficult for him to secure good work again. Russian people can and do work well.

World War II

Remember your history; in the war we lost about 26 million people, thousands of towns and hundreds of thousands of villages were ruined or completely destroyed, along with an enormous quantity of different industrial enterprises, numbering in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. But in the postwar period everything was quickly restored, new cities and villages were built and new plants and factories replaced those destroyed. This was achieved at the price of incredible effort of the entire people.

Stalin and the War

Perhaps at that time it was necessary for the country to have such a leader as Joseph Stalin. I do not justify his crimes against the peoples of the USSR, but I do not think that our country would have restored everything so quickly, had it been a democracy. At the same time we overtook America in the nuclear arena. This is already old history.

Modern Russia

But now we live in a society almost as badly damaged as after the war. Building new things is hard and takes time. It is impossible to take only 500 days to move from a socialist society to a capitalist, as the former prime minister Gaydar proposed in 1991. Even more so in a country such as Russia. Our country has well established traditions. The Russian people does not love great upheavals and takes a long time to stir itself in such cases. But if it sets itself a goal or sees its prospects - it will be difficult to prevent it from attain it. But at the present time, our people does not have any clear goal. The future is indefinable and unpredictable. More than half of our people lived under the Communist administration. They cannot forget its better aspects and they are constantly comparing it with the present reality. They cannot understand why shop and utility prices continue to grow, but wages and pensions remain at the previous level. They cannot understand, why the price of petrol (US – gasoline) has reached world levels in a country possessing enormous oil reserves and output, but wages are lower than in some developing African countries. Dennis, in your country, the minimum wage, the minimum legal level of remuneration for a worker, is about $6 an hour, but here it is 300 roubles per month (this is about $10 per month). Our store prices are already approaching world levels, while incomes remain at the level of the USSR. This is wrong and unnatural. It is wrong that one person can barely make ends meet, but another buys foreign football (US – soccer) clubs. If he had purchased one of our Russian football clubs, people would understand and support him. While this money is essential to the development of the country, it is flowing overseas. A number of rich thieves were brought to court for obvious crimes, so the western media raised the cry, that we were on the verge of reverting to our previous system. In any country the thief must serve time in prison. Dennis, I will not have time now, to look at the pages which you have written. I will do this after a small break; I have to take my daughter to another city for university entrance examinations. When I return I will look at what you have written and I will give you my opinion. I write books for the children of medium and older ages. Different adventures such as in Vladislav Krapivin's books. I also write some poetry, which I post on one of the Russian language poetry sites on the Internet. If you want - I will give you the links to my pages. If this is necessary, then place my e-mail address on the pages using my name.

HBC Comments

Our Russian reader has raised a range of interesting issues. Here we do not want to frame the debate as America vs. Russia. There are many types of democratic systems and economic systems that have proven successful in North America and Europe. Our principal point is that the open democratic socities of the West has proven successful in creating socities in which men and women can enjoy a range of freedoms and develop productive societies. There are several interesting points our Russian reader raises that I think merit some discussion.

America/Russia/Europe

Our reader is certainly correct that Russia has undergone terrible traumas during the 20th century that have caused destruction and death beyond anything experienced in America. There is no disagreement here. But HBC does not want to make this discussion an America vs. Russia discussion. While Russia has had great traumas in the 20th century, so have other European countries. Poland here is a good example. Destruction and deaths in Poland exceeded that of Russia in proportional terms during World War II. Yet Poland today has a strong vibrant and growing econommy with industries that are sucessfully competing in world markets. One has to ask the question as to why Europeanncountries have so sucessfully recovered from World War II and Russia lags behind. We certainly do not see Russia simply as a country of alcoholics, any more than we see America as a country of drug adicts. In fact we see Russia a a country with a well educated population with trendously talenented engeneers and scientists. It is because of this we wonder why Russia has been so unsucessful economically. It is our believe that it is Communism and command economics that are the root of Russia's problems, but perhaps there are other problems and recognize that this is an important question to discuss.

World War II

Here we essentially agree with our Russian reader. Russia suferred enormously in World War II. The destruction was unpresedented in modern history. Russia was not unique, however, some countries in proprtional terms such as Poland and Yugoslavia suffered even worse. The destruction of Germany in terms of physical plant, was probably even worse because of the Allied bombing, although in proportional terms fewer Germans were killed. There are two other important points about Russia and World War II. First, the Soviet Union began the war as an agressor nation, essentially allied with NAZI Germany. The reason that Russia had to confront the NAZIs was that Stalin signed the NAZI-Soviet Non-Agression Pact and not only joined Hitler in a series of aggressions, but allowed Hitler to destroy the French Army without any fear of a two-front war. Second, the Soviet Union played a central role in the defeat of NAZI Germany. It was the Red Army that essentially defeated the Wehrmact. It is hard to understand how the Sesern Allies could have rentered the Continent if the Wehrmacht had not been weakened by the titantic struggle on the Eastern Front.

Stalin and the War

Our reader raises the question as to Stalin and how he affected World War II and the Soviet Union's post-war recovery. I think this is an important question that needs to be addressed. It is not possible to consider this question without considering Stalin's crimes, because they affected Soviet preparations for the War and in fact Stalin's arrangements with the NAZIs played a major role in launching the War. This is a complicated subject. Soviet propaganda during and after the role picture Stalin as a man of steel who resolutely led Soviet resistance to the NAZIs. The full story of Stalin and the War is much more complicated. It should be remembeed that Prime Minister Churchill conducted World War II as a democratic war leader as did President Roosevelt. Of course Chircill had the English Channel and Roosevelt the Atlantic Ocean.

Modern Russia

Modern Russia faces many problems. Economic conditions and living standards are below those of Western Europe, the Baltics, and increasingly even those of Eastern Europe. Our Russian reader believes the destruction stemming from World War II is a major reason. Other Russians tend to blame Yeltsin and the democratic experiment. Others blame the collapse of the Soviet Union. There is no doubt that many Russians have suffered enormous disslocations following the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union. Our view is that many of those problems have resulted from 70 years of Communism rather than Russia's brief experiment with democracy. One point we disagree with is that Stalin and Communism allowed the Soviet Union to rapidly recover from World War II. There was also enormous damage in other countries, especially Germay. German industry was essentially destroyed. In fact West Germany recovered faster than the Soviet Union.and even more important, German built world-class factories that made products that were in demand around the world. The Soviet Union built factories that not only made poor quality products or products that made little attempt to meet consumer demand that could not be sold in the world markets. In addition, Soviet industry were responsible for industrial pollution that did enormous environmental damage. HBC believes that many Russian probems today stem not from the brief experiment with democracy, but from the long-term lingering impact of Communism.

Reader Commentts

A British reader who has recently returned from Siberia writes, " Victor does make several valid points as you mention. His first point that of the devistation the USSR experienced in World War II is a good one. Also he writes about the dislocation that has resulted from the changes brought about by the disolution of the Soviet Union. My observation led me to believe that some Russians are experiencing prosperity. In Novosibirsk I came across a skate boarding and roller blading park that would have been the envy of any western city. It was a magnet for family activity. Parents roller bladed with their children and teenager groups skated alongside these older players. As well as these groups there was a motor cycle group, sitting on the latest models who met up at the park. This was by the River Ob near to the railway bridge. There was a section of the origanal bridge built in the 1890's in the riverside park just a few yards away from the modern railway bridge which crosses the River Ob. The stores were full of goods that are also in Western stores. What I found of interest was that Western branded computers were available for sale. These had the same specifications as those in Western Countries. The prices in many instances was cheaper that I could buy the same models in Britain. A surprising observation came in the international telephone office. There were the usual telephone booths and a surpring office. This was a video telphone office. I would agree that the picture of a vodka drunking work force is an erronous one. I have seen drunken people on the streets but no greater than in the west. HBC raises a valid point about the quality of soviet made goods and the narketing of things made rather than manufacturing goods to supply what the market wanted."

Sources

Bogdanov, Victor. E-maIl message, July 12, 2005.

Created: 7:49 PM 8/25/2005
Last updated: August 29, 2005