Was life really that bad in the Soviet Union?

[Lone Wolf]

There were MOSTLY Slavic Russian who run the show in Russian Federative Soviet Repuplic (not the USSR, but the main part of it). Local goverments of course had local authorities. Althrough there was a small amout of Jews in the Party top (like Trotsky, Kamenev etc.) in the twenties, it didn't last long.

 

[colontos]

Russians were just barely a majority in the USSR, a bit over 50%.

And it's so unacceptable to spit on Stalin's picture, but the Soviet regime itself was acceptable? Give me a break. You folks need to get your priorities straight.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

So if Russians weren't running the USSR as a whole (I don't mean within each SSR but overall) then who was?

 

[Lone Wolf]

Russians were just barely a majority in the USSR, a bit over 50%.

But they were in power. At least, they determined the foregin affairs. Of course, (I am repeating myself) there were local authorities of different nationalities.

 

[Gelion]

Russians were just barely a majority in the USSR, a bit over 50%.

And it's so unacceptable to spit on Stalin's picture, but the Soviet regime itself was acceptable? Give me a break. You folks need to get your priorities straight.

I dont think anyone is praising Stalins purges in this thread.

So if Russians weren't running the USSR as a whole (I don't mean within each SSR but overall) then who was?

Soviet people, beginning from Jews and ending with Georgians, Lithuanians and Chukchas. Russians were of course represented. As a matter of fact in USSR no one really cared about nationality, only loyalty.

 

[warpus]

Soviet people, beginning from Jews and ending with Georgians, Lithuanians and Chukchas. Russians were of course represented. As a matter of fact in USSR no one really cared about nationality, only loyalty.

But you'll have to remember that the USSR was pretty much an extension of the Russian empire.

And what was the official language in the USSR? Oh yeah.. Russian!

 

[Pokurcz]

Gelion

”My country died in 1917.”

Yeah? Then why do you still try to defend it by claiming BS like: “Want to come back the issue of Soviet prisoners who died in polish death...concentration camps in 1920's?” Huh?

There is a huge difference between a “death camp” and a prisoner of war camp. LOL

Jeeez man, what are you gonna bemoan next, that the Polish took prisoners during that war? It was war, you either kill you enemy or imprison them.

The polish officers and intelligentsia sent to the camps in Siberia where done away with to not impede the Soviet conquest and spread of IDEOLOGY in Poland and brainwashing of its people, there is a huge difference.

And I dare you to show anything remotely on the same level as the summary, illegal execution of Polish officers by the thousands in out of sight forests. That was just evil, bloodthirsty bastardism out of a gothic horror novel is what it was. Or rather something the Nazis couldn’t have done better.

The Polish advance into former Polish lands in 1919 was because of a power vacuum and because the Versailles treaties did not specify the Polish border in the east. You guys where settling the scores with yourselves at that time remember? You didn’t exist internationally and deserved every bit of it after lording over eastern Poland for a century and then some.

And it wasn’t a matter of subduing neighbour peoples, Poland only took land with a Polish Majority. Further advances where made to help free Ukraine from their ancient Russian yoke, which didn’t happen. And the Ukrainians where the ones who lost out on it, because Comrade Stalin genocided ten millions (10 000 000) of them ten years later for their insubordination.

You can bet your Hiney that Poland never had anything of the sort in store for them, not even the Nazis managed as well as the USSR, ever!

And Russia can’t keep its fingers out of other peoples lands and internal politicks, like in Belarus, Ukraine or Georgia. Do you realise that? You people are still not cured from your Imperialist Ways, put in place way before the days of Stalin and his merry men.
Still wielding short term weapons like Gazprom in peoples faces, still the “bad boy” of the east.

Russia might as well be the lands of Mordor, as far as I am concerned, and Putin the new incarnation of Sauron.

 

[Lone Wolf]

As a matter of fact in USSR no one really cared about nationality, only loyalty.

That's mostly true. Hovewer, there was a bit of Russian shauvinism in the late years of Stalin (1945-1953), when the repressive actions against "the cosmopolites". And there is some evidence, which shows that Stalin had a plan to send all Jews in USSR to Siberia... This is not completely proven, through.

And Russia can’t keep its fingers out of other peoples lands and internal politicks, like in Belarus, Ukraine or Georgia.

Yeah, the good old complex of a former empire. <USA bashing> Althrough the USA does the same, and Russia soooo wants to be equal to USA in power, like in the "good old days".

Actually, Russia and USA are strangely similar in some foregin affairs. Both have what they do consider their "sphere of influence" (the former Soviet republics in one case and South America in the other case), and the countries in that spheres do not like their "masters" much. </USA bashing>

Russia might as well be the lands of Mordor, as far as I am concerned, and Putin the new incarnation of Sauron.

I do not like Putin much. He brings Russia away from the democratic values, not toward them - for example, he cancelled the elections of the regional governors. Now they are appointed directly by him. Not too democratic, eh?

But that incarnation of Sauron stuff... Funny people.

 

[Pokurcz]

LW

Well there's quite some evidence saying that Stalin was just preparing a purge of Jews in Soviet society, the only thing that stopped him was his death.

"Funny people."

Well humor makes the world go around IMO.

 

[colontos]

Well there's quite some evidence saying that Stalin was just preparing a purge of Jews in Soviet society, the only thing that stopped him was his death.

This is a confirmed fact, actually. The "Doctor's Plot" was about to turn into an old-fashioned Jewish pogrom, had not the Plowman kicked the bucket when he did.

 

[REDY]

Its interesting that Stalin supported Birobidzan and even Israel...and he was killing thousands jews.

 

[Lone Wolf]

He did support Israel in the 1945-1948 approximately, 'cause he hoped it to be a sort of Soviet satellite state. When the "Doctors' Plot" campagin began he had given up these hopes.

Birobidzan? It is (and was) just a mere pointless formality. It is not Jewish autonomious region - it just has such a name. Jews never were a majority in this area.

 

[Illdisposed]

Russia might as well be the lands of Mordor, as far as I am concerned, and Putin the new incarnation of Sauron.

That gave me a good laugh.

Wait a minute, I've heard that before. Oh, yes! "Evil Empire!"

 

[Pokurcz]

Russia should make amends by at least coming to terms with its misdeeds during the previous century by preferably publicly admitting them on a world stage and apologizing, not unlike what Germany has done.

By not admitting these crimes Russia, as a nation, is spitting in the faces of its victims.

That, in my opinion, is sufficient to be labeled as evil.

 

[colontos]

The Soviet Union was pure evil. Reagan was speaking only the truth. If anything, he understated it.

I don't believe that Russia today or Putin are evil.

 

[Oncle Boris]

My country is better than yours!

 

[Illdisposed]

Russia should make amends by at least coming to terms with its misdeeds during the previous century by preferably publicly admitting them on a world stage and apologizing, not unlike what Germany has done.

By not admitting these crimes Russia, as a nation, is spitting in the faces of its victims.

That, in my opinion, is sufficient to be labeled as evil.

And what are those crimes you are speak of, may I ask?

 

[colontos]

And what are those crimes you are speak of, may I ask?

Should we start with the USSR's crimes against her own people, or against those of other nations? Either way it's going to take a while.

Have you read "The Gulag Archipelago"?

 

[Lone Wolf]

By not admitting these crimes Russia, as a nation, is spitting in the faces of its victims.

Have you read "The Gulag Archipelago"?

I do not understand what you are talking about. All that stuff is admitted. The vicitims of Gulag are reabilitated (sp.) It was Chruschov who began the reabilitation process. Russia admits all the Soviet crimes, althrough it does not state that USSR is 100&#37; pure Evil.

 

[colontos]

Gulags still existed during Khrushchov's time and after. There were fewer political prisoners, true.

The victims have been rehabilitated, yes. But what about the victimizers? Have any of them stood trial? Have any been imprisoned? Publicly condemned? Have any of them even stood up and said, "Yes, I was an executioner and a murderer."? (apologies to Solzhenitsyn)

Rehabilitation was not, I suspect, a huge comfort to a man who had already lost half his life and half his family to the gulags. Justice is what is missing from the Soviet equation.