what happened to Soviet officials and politicians after...

[BIG BROTHER]

I have recently wondered about what happened to the Soviet Officials, and politicians after the fall(or disolvement, whatever you want to call it) of the Soviet Union.

All I know is that Gorgachev continued in mainstream politics and thats it. But what happened to everybody else?

[Guest1]

Many of the higher-up bureaucrats became millionaires and billionaires off the privatization of the workers' state.

[apathy maybe]

Many of the higher-up bureaucrats became millionaires and billionaires off the privatization of the workers' state.

Demonstrating, may I say it, that it wasn't a real "worker's state" at all.

Indeed, I know it is a tired, boring old argument, but I would suggest that any state which has an entrenched ruling class, which when a supposed change over from "socialism" to capitalism happens, stays exactly the same, it isn't really socialist at all.

[3A CCCP]

I have recently wondered about what happened to the Soviet Officials, and politicians after the fall(or disolvement, whatever you want to call it) of the Soviet Union.

All I know is that Gorgachev continued in mainstream politics and thats it. But what happened to everybody else?

Gorbachev made Pizza Hut commercials!

I'm not kidding. TV commercials began to be introduced on Russian Federation TV after the counter-revolution. We were watching TV one day (I'm not sure what year, probably in 1994 or 1995) and this Pizza Hut commercial comes on with that low life Gorbachev. Everyone was stunned and shocked! Just when you thought he couldn't sink any lower, Gorbachev degraded himself even more.

3A CCCP!
Mikhail

[3A CCCP]

Many of the higher-up bureaucrats became millionaires and billionaires off the privatization of the workers' state.

The ones that supported Yeltsin's coup certainly did.

The privatization took place in two stages. The first stage was to "divide up" the wealth among the population of the Russian Federation. This was one of the biggest jokes and slaps in the face that you can imagine.

Every man, woman, and child that was a citizen of the Russian Federation received a "voucher" that was worth approximately $26 at the exchange rate of the day. This voucher was supposed to be the citizen's share of the wealth of the nation that the Soviet people built up since 1917!

The voucher was to be used for investing in businesses during Stage I of the privatization process. The only problem was that the only things to invest in were small start up businesses and kiosks. The people were not allowed to invest in any large government industries.

That was because Stage II of Yeltsin's privatization cabal was reserved for rewarding those who helped him break up the Soviet Union and grab power in the Russian Federation. This bunch included myriad criminals who were kept down during Soviet times and hooked up with Yeltsin to help his power grab.

Yeltsin was very generous to the people who supported and helped him. Soviet industry was parceled out to the scum that eventually became known as "oligarchs." Abramovich, Berezovsky, Guzinsky, and other criminals were the ones that got the lion's share. The "higher up" Party beauracrats that sold out didn't make out as well since they weren't directly involved in getting Yeltsin into power. But, I'm sure the sell-outs used their connections to set themselves up comfortably.

3A CCCP!
Mikhail

[BIG BROTHER]

wooah...damm its pretty depresing to hear all this. But keep going.

[Andy Bowden]

The ex CP bueraucrats became the CEO's of privatised companies, and the political leadership of new pro-capitalist parties throughout the ex-USSR and Eastern Bloc.

That was why the leadership of the Communist parties throughout the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe supported capitalist restoration - they could become richer and more powerful than they could dream of under the previous system.

[3A CCCP]

The ex CP bueraucrats became the CEO's of privatised companies, and the political leadership of new pro-capitalist parties throughout the ex-USSR and Eastern Bloc.

That was why the leadership of the Communist parties throughout the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe supported capitalist restoration - they could become richer and more powerful than they could dream of under the previous system.

This statement should be examined in a bit more depth so as not to make a blanket condemnation of all Communist Party leaders of that time.

Over a period of 6 years Soviet Communist leaders who opposed Gorbachev's "Perestroika" (i.e., dismantling of the Socialist system) were quietly removed without fuss or fanfare and buried in out of the way regions of the country where they couldn't stir up trouble.

Those who supported Gorbachev were given the full benefit of "Glasnost" (i.e., freedom to say whatever you wanted as long as you supported Gorbachev's "reforms").

Over a period of time, a large number of the anti-Perestroika Communists were dispersed and lacked any cohesive means to oppose Gorbachev when he finally came out in 1990 and admitted that from the very beginning his plan was to dismantle the Soviet Socialist economic system.

Since the majority of the leaders were "Gorbachev supporters" by 1990, you are correct that by this time the Party was controlled by capitalist oriented traitors. Those pseudo-Communists controlling the Party supported the restoration of capitalism that Gorbachev had started, because they saw the opportunity to become rich off the wealth the people had built up since the Great October of 1917.

3A CCCP!
Mikhail

[RebelDog]

Many of the higher-up bureaucrats became millionaires and billionaires off the privatization of the workers' state.

Which shows us all what state-capitalism is.

[RebelDog]

Had the working class had control then the idea of power would not taken its murderous hold. Only idiots walk over the ashes of the USSR.

[3A CCCP]

Had the working class had control then the idea of power would not taken its murderous hold. Only idiots walk over the ashes of the USSR.

Only the ignorant make generalized statements like the above.

3A CCCP!
Mikhail

[Andy Bowden]

Which shows us all what state-capitalism is.

But that was after the dismantling of the state economy - it wasn't state capitalism, it was just capitalism.

[RHIZOMES]

Which shows us all what state-capitalism is.

State-capitalism is a stupid term. Because normal capitalism could be regarded as state-capitalism. Capitalism can't exist peacefully without a state to sustain it.

[Niccolò Rossi]

State-capitalism is a stupid term. Because normal capitalism could be regarded as state-capitalism. Capitalism can't exist peacefully without a state to sustain it.

*Sigh* Yes, we realise that. "State Capitalism" is just a short term for "State Monopoly Capitalism". It's amazing how you learn something everyday.