Prev Discussion Next Discussion Send Replies to My Inbox Reply
Recommend Message 1 of 1 in Discussion From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 12/23/2005 3:06 AM
Russians feel nostalgic when it comes to the USSR (Pravda) Pravda ^ | 11/30/2005 | Vasily Reznichenko
Posted on 12/01/2005 10:17:07 AM PST by M. Espinola
Russian population is accostumed to being guided by the leader's ruling firm hand Soviet flag.
Recent sociological research shows that Russian population feels more and more nostalgic about the Soviet past. However, by full-fledged socialism they mean not a political regime but rather a system that presupposes government's responsibility to provide decent life to the citizens.
Getting rid of the communist past is not about rewriting history textbooks and changing the names of the streets. Confusion in people's heads caused by galloping capitalization still impedes them from using their suddenly acquired rights and performing their new civil responsibilities efficiently. The habit of relying upon the government in everything makes Russian society passive and unable to change anything.
American economist Alberto Alesina has recently studied the moods in the united Germany. According to the professor, the main remnant of the communism still characteristic of the eastern Germans is nothing but a user attitude towards government. In this case people consider government some kind of supernatural charity organization that takes care of its citizens as if they were children. The surveys showed that eastern Germans more often than western ones support the idea of government's intervention into income redistribution and social security. However, these attitudes tend to change. This made the authors of the study conclude that Germany will be free of communist prejudices in 20-40 years. Applying the results of the study to the Russian environment Alesina claimed that the same process would take more time here.
According to the American scientist Russia will have to pass through a generational change in order to get rid of the communist heritage. However, Russian experience shows that the death of the contemporaries of an epoch and their next descendants does not necessarily mean the ideological transformation of the society. Russian population has been renewed by 20 per cent since 1990. A new social class - businessmen - appeared (their number exceeds three million people), private property became firmly established. Nevertheless, the attitude of Russian towards the Soviet period has not become worse than, for example, 15 years ago. Quite the contrary. Isn't it a paradox?
Acknowledgement: All available information and documents in "Justice For North Caucasus Group" is provided for the "fair use". There should be no intention for ill-usage of any sort of any published item for commercial purposes and in any way or form. JFNC is a nonprofit group and has no intentions for the distribution of information for commercial or advantageous gain. At the same time consideration is ascertained that all different visions, beliefs, presentations and opinions will be presented to visitors and readers of all message boards of this site. Providing, furnishing, posting and publishing the information of all sources is considered a right to freedom of opinion, speech, expression, and information while at the same time does not necessarily reflect, represent, constitute, or comprise the stand or the opinion of this group. If you have any concerns contact us directly at:
eagle@JusticeForNorthCaucasus.com
