> I agree with Brad on this point.
>
> I liked the thrust of Charles' post about communism - you almost never see
> the mainstream attitudes towards communism challenged, even though they are
> largely unsubstantiated. So it was refreshing in that sense.
I agree with this. But I'm not sure about the evidence here I'm not an expert, it needs to be weighed carefully to come to some conclusion. The socialist countries had their own internal problems as well as the West to contend with. I think Maoist China and Soviet Russia were mostly symbolic threats.to the West. However, if they were truely successful in producing uniformly high standards of living with relative social equality, and bourgeoise liberty, I think this might have meant the end of American Style Capitalism. The U.S. could easily have "fell" in that circumstances just like Russian communism did.
>
>
> But it disturbs me when people like Stalin are praised in the process.
> After all, what are we after? Stalin may have flattened the income
> distribution, but his record on social justice is atrocious. Who cares if
> you have income equality if you live in fear?
I also agree with this. However, even here one has to bear in mind the awful pressuresthe Soviet Union was under first they were invaded by the West., then they rapidly industrialized, I think to protect themselves from the Nazis. Russia must bear the scars of the great War. Its not hard to see the scars of a trivial occurence like the Vietnam war here. My opinion is that the Russians bore the brunt of the cost of defeating the Germans in WW II. Stalin whatever his butchery was largely responsible for German defeat.
>
>
> You don't have to praise communist thugs, or make broad claims that
> communism was a "great succes," to point out that communism did some
> beneficial things and had real accomplishments. The alternative gets too
> ideological for my comfort.
>
> Brett
>
-- Michael Cohen mike at cns.bu.edu Work: 677 Beacon, Street, Rm313 Boston, Mass 02115 Home: 25 Stearns Rd, #3 Brookline, Mass 02146 Tel-Work: 617-353-9484 Tel-Home:617-734-8828 Tel-FAX:617-353-7755