From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!ihnp4!ihuxr!lew
Newsgroups: net.politics
Title: thoughts on Russia
Article-I.D.: ihuxr.206
Posted: Mon Nov 15 21:05:14 1982
Received: Wed Nov 17 05:49:30 1982


About ten years ago I bought a copy of "Khrushchev Remembers", but I just
started reading it after Brezhnev died. (That's logical isn't it?)
I guess I "knew" about Stalin's purges and the ruthlessness of the
establishment of collectivism and so on, but it is easy to pass over these
simple phrases without realizing their true import.

Reading Khrushchev's matter-of-fact descriptions of these hellish goings
on is absolutely blood curdling. It is chilling to realize that the
current Soviet regime is the direct descendant of this rule, and is in
fact essentially of the same nature now as then. The case is no
different than it would be if we had come to some sort of truce with
Hitler, and continued to deal with his successors. I know that most
conservatives have never wavered from this position and remain, in
fact, amazed that so many fail to see the obvious truth of it.

Andropov emerging from the KGB to rule the nation gives added weight
to these considerations. Do you suppose he's as bad as Beria?
He could easily be! Don't begin to think that the mere advancement
of years moves us to a new age.

Another thought: I recently read, "Peter the Great", by Robert K.
Massie, and I am really struck by how similar the methods of
the Communists were to Peter's in instituting sweeping "reforms",
conscripting labor and moving whole populaces for pet projects,
and especially in building huge armies on the backs of a groaning
nation. Is this more than coincidence?

Lew Mammel, Jr. ihuxr!lew