I pass this on since it's a matter of some interest to lefties. Since I was writing on Russian politics and the USSR (I am a muse :) ) my girlfriend from Kazkhstan composed a sort of interview with herself on the subject to help her with her English, which is not all that hot. Anyway it might be interesting. I would say her views are pretty typical of her cohort. She's so cute. :)
Good morning, you are listening the program "Bla-bla-bla". The topic of today's issue is "Let's talk about USSR". - Who are you? Introduce yourself, please. - I'm a russian woman originally from Kazakhstan, 27 years old. I have high economical education, but have changed 2 professions during 5 years. I also changed my citizenship from kazakh to russian. - Are you interested in politics? - ... I don't know, it's most likely I'm not. The politicians are all good liars, it's boring to listen them. - Ok. What can you say about russian political parties: United Russia, KPRF, SPS, etc.? - I know just their names, like "brands", and the names of the most "scandalous" politicians: Zhirinovsky, Khakamada... Shandibin. I don't like their faces, but why! - when I see political program or news I always see them! I comprehend them mostly like public persons with definite image. Certainly, I can distinguish communists from democrats. I never try to understand what they say, because I fear the "washing of brains . I suppose all they want from me is to vote for somebody of them. But I can't vote, thanks to our legislation! To be exact, the procedure of voting is too difficult for me. - You were born in USSR, were you? What you can say about that system? - Yes, you are right. Sometimes I recollect my childhood, my school... I clearly realize that I never liked soviet ideas, soviet way of living. I didn't hate soviet system, because it didn't anything bad for me, but it didn't anything good too. "Soviet" things usually were poor and ugly, ideas were fictitious... Free education - but narrow-minded, free healthcare - but absolutely backward. And those clothes and footwear, what a shameful nightmare its were! - Wasn't anything good really? - I can't tell so... It was my native country. There were absolutely another values, another ideas. More humane. I was young, I didn't understand how the system functions. My impressions were based mostly on the emotions... I think, all childish impressions are strong and are kept deep in mind. So I'm unlikely to change my opinion. What do you think about Stalin? He was the great political figure, are you agree? - Yes, he was really great and threatening figure. His person was mysterious, it caused respect. Later, when some awful facts about repressions was exposed, it didn't change my idea about Stalin. I guess they all were monsters: Lenin, Stalin, all these revolutionaries. When I learned Karl Marx's economical theory at university, I clearly understood that they had potent reasons and historical preconditions. -But it didn't justify their atrocities. Honestly saying, it seems strange to me to talk about USSR, about Stalin... - Why? - Recent years the russian people don't like to recollect about it. I can't tell about all people, but in my circles they are "loaded" with new problems, new ideas. They are pragmatic, so what for to waste time on memoirs on a life which never will return? That is an unfashionable theme, not topical at this moment. Listen, what words are often used: not "soviet" or just "sovok", but new words, like "adequate", "advanced", "career","image",...,"oligarh", "terrorism". Very quickly we realized ourselves as the part of the other world, and our soviet past has been threw aside immediately like useless weight. We want "civilized" West to forget our past and to assume us in their society (with a light ironical smile). Like provincial people in the city. Certainly, it is only my own humble opinion. - In other words, you suppose that the liberal values are the most popular now among Russians? - Yes, I think so, though I don't clearly realize the sense of the liberal values. - Ok. Thank you. The next time we will talk about +