Gorbachev

[Viva Fidel]

Was he responsible for the fall of the USSR?

If so, to what extent, with what policies, etc?

If not, what/who did?

What is to be said about those who say the pope or/and Reagan ended the cold war and proved that "communism failed," even though it has never existed?

[Leo]

Well he wasn't responsible for the fall of USSR. It is not leaders who make history, it is masses. Actually the chance of making socialism live in the USSR was dead before Lenin's death. Khruschev's revisionist policies, a reflection of the reaction against Stalin were also another step towards the end. What drove USSR to capitalism was not merely Gorbachev's policies, but his policies was again a reflection of the troubles with the USSR finding their roots in the early days. As for Gorby, it turns out he was a pretty good liar though. I saw him, last month I think, in a conferance. He was proudly bragging about how he brought freedom, democracy and private property to Russia. Politicians are like this; they can look right into your face and say 'This is what I am', but the next day...
USSR had to fall, because it wasn't the right practice, I had never been, maybe it was very close at the beginning of the Revolution. It felt to open the way for the new, real communism, the communism Marx described. Its fall was still a tragedy for the peoples of the Eastern Block, altough their newly generated cappies will tell otherwise, but it was necassary. Real communism couldn't have strive when USSR existed and claimed to be 'communist'.
Reagan and Pope can say that (well, could have said :lol: ) that 'communism' is finished but its bullshit. It hasn't even started yet...

[Vladislav]

I don't think the U.S.S.R ever claimed to be communist. It's what the west thinks.

I mean United Soviet Socialist Republic.

[OneBrickOneVoice]

Was he responsible for the fall of the USSR?

No I don't think so. It was doomed the day they snatched worker council rights away. It became even worse the day Stalin stepped into office. If Trotsky's ideas had been implamented perhaps the USSR could have been saved but he got capped. The USSR should serve as an example to future communist societies that the absolute worst thing that can happen is an abuse of power. Laws need to be made and the people should not be barred from methods that would stop a revolution against a corrupt dictatorship.


What is to be said about those who say the pope or/and Reagan ended the cold war and proved that "communism failed," even though it has never existed?

I hate this arguement. When people who know nothing about communist theory go around talking about how you have no freedom of speech and no universal suffrage. I got in an arguement just yesterday about it with someone. I tried to explain how you have never seen a communist society. You have only seen a 'Stalinist' society. 99.5% of communists absolutely detest such a system. I also tried to explain that in every other ideologie people recieve the right to vote and speak your mind. But of course he didn't listen. He just went on blabbing what sounded goo to him.

[Leo]

If Trotsky's ideas had been implamented perhaps the USSR could have been saved but he got capped. The USSR should serve as an example to future communist societies that the absolute worst thing that can happen is an abuse of power.

I don't think this is true. USSR would probably be a better place if Trotsky came into power instead of Stalin, but it is not leaders who make history. The material historical conditions did not exist for creating a communist society. Russia could have been the place where the building of the communist society begun if the revolutionary wave passed to major capitalist countries, because especially in Ukraine, peasants were developing the village commune, and this was also exactly what Marx thought for Russia after a revolution, but village communes in Ukraine were crushed by the Bolsheviks after long dances of allience against the White Army. However all those 'ifs' prove us that material historical conditions were not met.