Posted on 08/04/2006 2:25:53 PM PDT by JSedreporter
In a recent discussion hosted at the Heritage Foundation, four authorities shared their thoughts and research on the current status and future of Communism today, offering a different take than the one most college students are likely to get in Cold War studies courses.
“Who knows that the Soviet Union murdered twenty million people, and the Chinese murdered fifty million through various massacres, trials, and other acts under Communism?” Lee Edwards, Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation said. “Who knows the Communism plague has exacted a death toll surpassing that of all the wars of the 20th century combined?” said Edwards.
The “Victims of Communism” memorial, a bronze statue, commemorates a similar monument erected in 1989 in Tiananmen Square, and then torn down. “We must not allow history to forget those who died and are still dying under Communism,” said Edwards.
Edwards focused his discussion on the vast realm of the political spectrum that Communism occupies, and the danger that lies therein, not just for the oppressed people living under these regimes, but also for United States citizens as well. Countries such as the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea, and Syria are all supporting Communist regimes.
“The spectre of Communism still haunts the world…even in America’s biggest city, which hosts the ‘KGB Bar’ (a very popular night club),” Edwards said.
Frank Calzon, Executive Director of the Center for a Free Cuba, said that despite Fidel Castro’s illness, Cuba remains a Communist country. “We can be optimistic about Cuba though, because it is only ninety miles away from the United States, while North Korea for example is right next to China,” Calzon said. The victims of Communism in Cuba, according to Calzon, are those who “say what those around them are only willing to think.”
Calzon alluded to the importance we have as American citizens to get the word out about the workings of Communism, and use our freedoms to do what the people under Communism can not. “We ought to do what folks like us are not allowed to do in Cuba and other countries that are Communist—all of you should write a Letter to the Editor at the Washington Post…I guarantee if they get fifty letters, one or two are bound to get published,” Calzon said.
Paul Goble, formerly with Voice of America, and an authority on the Baltic, talked about the turmoil that Communism presses on not only those who perish under its rigid system, but also those who are left behind. “In every Estonian family in 1940, one member was killed, one sent to Siberia, one joined the KGB, and one managed to avoid all these fates…but they were all victims, especially the one who remained alive,” Goble said in reference to Estonian families today.
“If we are serious about the original definition of captive nations, then we have to admit that there are now people living with less freedom and choice than ten to fifteen years ago in the Russian Federation,” Goble said.
Goble argued that it is not in America’s best interests to ignore the fact that the Russian constitution says a ruler may only have two terms (in regards to Putin’s push for more). “It’s going to be a very long time before we can happily say that it (Communism) is over and can look away,” Goble said.
Harry Wu spent 19 years under torture in prison/labor camps in China for speaking out against Communism. His book, Bitter Winds, references his torture and starvation which he incurred during his imprisonment. Wu began his discussion by assuring the audience that “nobody in China believes Communism is a good thing.”
“The ideology of Communism is not a crime, but the implementation is a crime,” Wu said. Wu alluded to a word he uses to define Communism in China: “Classicide.” “Classicide” refers to the persecution and struggle of classes, particularly the bourgeoisie class, which theoretically ended in 1976.
Under this system, Wu’s father’s property was taken away and he was killed, Wu’s mother then committed suicide, his brother was killed and he was sent to the labor camps. “You can do all the business you want in China, but you can not say anything you want to say,” Wu said. Conversely, “The United States and American people are closer to promoting Democracy and freedom rather than Capitalism,” said Goble.
China is still very much a Communist country, Wu argued. We are given the idea that the living conditions of people today are changing, but “The problem is still, after thirty or fifty years we don’t know what will happen,” Wu said.
“The average person around the world does not have a negative view of the United States, but the elites do,” Goble said. Go figure. Edwards hopes to eventually, in the near future, have a library and museum erected in Washington, D.C., dedicated to the victims of crimes of Communism.
Elizabeth Young is an intern at Accuracy in Media, Accuracy in Academia’s parent group.
Interesting read, but I have to question accuracy when a person like Goble's makes the following inaccurate statements:
"Paul Goble, formerly with Voice of America, and an authority on the Baltic, talked about the turmoil that Communism presses on not only those who perish under its rigid system, but also those who are left behind. “In every Estonian family in 1940, one member was killed, one sent to Siberia, one joined the KGB, and one managed to avoid all these fates…but they were all victims, especially the one who remained alive,” Goble said in reference to Estonian families today."
An accurate statement, but then he loses it:
“If we are serious about the original definition of captive nations, then we have to admit that there are now people living with less freedom and choice than ten to fifteen years ago in the Russian Federation,” Goble said."
I'd like to know what he is basing that on. I spent from 1995 to 2005 working and traveling throughout the former Soviet Union, based out of the US Embassy in Moscow. The Russian Federation has gone leaps and bounds in providing more freedom and choice since 1995. Jobs are more readily available, salaries are higher, more protections are in place for consumers who are ripped off, in the workplace, the tax code has been simplified, jury trials are in place, people can own property, people can sue others, they can register as a business (like an LLC), travel anywhere in the world, etc., etc., etc. And quite frankly, I don't know too many Russians complaining about the direction they're heading. Of course, as an American, I would question their footsie playing with Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, etc, in the ME (although their inability to get Hezbollah and Hamas to quiet down show's their "real" versus "perceived" influence in the region), their lack of real progress in reforming their armed forces, and the inability to crush corruption (although arresting Khodorkovsky was a step in the right direction).
"Goble argued that it is not in America’s best interests to ignore the fact that the Russian constitution says a ruler may only have two terms (in regards to Putin’s push for more). “It’s going to be a very long time before we can happily say that it (Communism) is over and can look away,” Goble said. "
Putin's push for more?!? How many times can he say he's not going to seek an additional term - even if the Duma changes the rules (which it appears not to have enough support to do).
When these "analysts" get the simplest things wrong, I have to wonder how accurate anything they write is.
PS - the Russians estimate 60 million victims (throughout the Soviet Union) to the criminal communist regime.
My son was in a public college in 1995 and his "prof" told the class that communism's failing was that it has never done correctly according to Marx and Engles. If Russia, China, Vietnam and Cambodia (and how many others) would have done it to the book there would not have been any oppression.
This is the common lefty lie that is repeated over and over.
My wife studied in Leipzig in the early 90's. There were many former East Germans who at that time glorified the former communist regime and complained constantly. The fact was that many of the complainers were old party bosses out of a job.
Those "profs" have a hard time reconciling with their lifelong love for a system that was doomed to failure as soon as Marx and Engles put the pens down. Their whole "premise" that Russia, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia, didn't do "communism" correctly is actually admitting that the aforementioned countries should have gone through a lengthy industrialization and capatalist phase prior to being "ready" to engage in the various stages of Marxism. Marx wrote his fantasy with Germany, England, and France in mind (and it would have failed there as well). Communism has never existed in the world - what has existed are various totalitarian regimes using "communism" as the state "religion" to justify their criminal actions.
Yes - you run into a lot of the bitter folks (and as you point out they were usually commie bosses who have fallen and can't make a living because they have no talent). But they dwindle each year, i.e., time is not on their side. I see some promise in the new generations.
Who will speak for the dead?
We all know about the Jews who died in the Holocaust, but we know very little about the other half of Hitler's insane ethnic cleansing program.
It has become politically incorrect to even talk about the Holocaust, and Jews are derided for speaking for their dead, and reminding the world that we failed once before as a civilization. But since the Holocaust - tens of millions of people have been murdered by their governments for merely being different, or holding opinions different than the official party line. Many were killed defending their homes, family, and communities... Most just disappeared. Worse yet, they have disappeared from our history books.
That there is an inconvenient truth worth knowing.
"I see some promise in the new generations."
When I was in grammar school in the 50's it was not uncommon to have a speaker come to the school and warn us kids about the evils of communism. In 7th grade we got a whole bunch of refugees from Hungary and they made the whole thing very real because their stories were real.
I do worry that the "real story" most likely will not be heard in schools today. In fact the whole diversity crowd sort of worships the pluralism of many equal systems.
Bump!
Good point. I've found more defenders of communism living in the US than in those countries that suffered. When I was stationed in Berlin in the 80s we would visit the East on "shopping" trips. The difference between the two Berlins was astonishing. It was nice to run into American college kids in a West Berlin bar fresh from a trip to the East. They were amazed at what they saw - didn't look like the paradise their leftie college "proffessors" told them about.
Please, read also: "The New American Cold War"
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060710/cohen
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