Communist symbol returns to Russian Army's flag

AuBC News ^ | Saturday, May 5, 2007. 12:06pm (AEST)

[james500]

Russia's Parliament has voted to restore the communist-era hammer and sickle to the official flag of the Russian Army.

It is expect President Vladimir Putin will ratify the move in time for next week's commemorations marking the end of World War II in Europe.

If so, Russians will again have the Soviet version of the victory banner for next week's Victory in Europe parade in Moscow.

For many Russians, especially the elderly, its symbolism is immense.

The red banner, together with the hammer, sickle and a white star, was the one raised on the Reichstag roof on May 1, 1945.

Millions of people all over the world know that photograph, but in Russia its significance is much deeper, with the Soviet victory over fascism in World War II remaining something seen in almost religious terms.

[instantgratification]

Well, the problem with that theory is that the Saudis began flooding the market in 1981, in an attempt to increase their share of the total market.

Here is another analysis -

During the 1979-1980 period of rapidly increasing prices, Saudi Arabia's oil minister Ahmed Yamani repeatedly warned other members of OPEC that high prices would lead to a reduction in demand. His warnings fell on deaf ears. Surging prices caused several reactions among consumers: better insulation in new homes, increased insulation in many older homes, more energy efficiency in industrial processes, and automobiles with higher mileage. These factors along with a global recession caused a reduction in demand which led to falling crude prices. Unfortunately for OPEC only the global recession was temporary. Nobody rushed to remove insulation from their homes or to replace energy efficient plants and equipment -- much of the reaction to the oil price increase of the end of the decade was permanent and would not respond to lower prices with increased demand for oil. The higher prices also resulted in increased exploration and production outside of OPEC. From 1980 to 1986 non-OPEC production increased 10 million barrels per day. OPEC was faced with lower demand and higher supply from outside the organization. From 1982 to 1985 OPEC attempted to set production quotas low enough to stabilize prices. These attempts met with repeated failure as various members of OPEC would produce beyond their quotas. During most of this period Saudi Arabia acted as the swing producer cutting its production to stem the free falling prices. In August of 1985, the Saudis tired of this role. They linked their oil prices to the spot market for crude and by early 1986 increased production from 2 MMBPD to 5 MMBPD. Crude oil prices plummeted below $10 per barrel by mid-1986. A December 1986 OPEC price accord set to target $18 per barrel was already breaking down by January of 1987. Prices remained weak. The price of crude oil spiked in 1990 with the uncertainty associated Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the ensuing Gulf War, but following the war crude oil prices entered a steady decline until in 1994 inflation adjusted prices attained their lowest level since 1973. OPEC had mixed success at controlling prices. There were mistakes in timing of quota changes as well as the usual problems in maintaining production discipline among its member countries.

[spanalot]

“Patton never experienced the horrors of the Eastern Front.If he had, he might have dropped his pearl-handed revolvers and ran.”

I take it you do not like the best American General of all time. I also take it that you do not know that he stared down Messershmidts and charging horsemen with those Colts.

Who are your favorite generals? The Russian ones that sent their men to combat with 2 bullets and a gun pointed at their backs? Or the Russian generals that sent their own soldiers to the Gulag after WWII because they saw how prosperous Europe was. Or how about the KGB generals that killed 100 million in the last century?

[instantgratification]

Soviet (not Russian) generals did not send soldiers to battle with a bullet and a gun to the back. There was no great leadership from the Soviets initially, as Stalin had destroyed the Red Army leadership in his purges.

That being said, the generals at the time, appointed by Stalin, did not have any military training and sent soldiers on horses to fight tanks.

The initial disaster was met with begging Zhukov and Shapashnikov to take over conduct of the war. Zhukov was given promises by Stalin that things would change after the war. Such was the loyalty Zhukov commanded that soldiers gave their lives for him. Of course, Zhukov was betrayed. In fact, he wrote so in his memoirs.

KGB officers were not the military commanders who conducted the war. Until the collapse of the USSR, there was a distinction between different KGB directorates as well as GRU

Never forget that.

[AdmSmith]

http://www.wtrg.com/prices.htm

[Thunder90]

I don’t think it was inevatible. However, even if the USSR did still exist as it was, it would be very similar to what Russia is now.

[Thunder90]

The US should attempt to crash the oil market again, and send these dictators (Putin, Chavez, ect) packing.

[RusIvan]

Soviet WWII Military Losses Estimated At Nearly 9 Million

May 8th, 2007 — Russia has raised its estimate for the number of Soviet troops killed in World War II to 8.86 million.==

Accually those estimates was one in 1992 in the book of general Krivoshein.

Estimates put at more than 25 million the total number of Soviet civilian and military war dead.==

Accually as far as I red same article Kirilinhe said that total soviet losses amount is about 11 mlns. Accually it is decrease not increase.

[RusIvan]

You can google until the cows come home. I have a graduate degree in Soviet studies. I lived in the USSR during parts of those times, the spouse of a Soviet citizen. I learned how to read Soviet papers to discern the truth. I have family members who spent time in Soviet gulags. My FIL was a dissident, jailed for over 15 years. One thing I know well, learned from a spouse who was taught well by my FIL, is how communists think.==

I agree with you. I told here many times that the best thing Reagan did is to support Gorbachav and ease Cold war. If not the Gorbachev couldn’t do his “perestroika” and eventually let down Soviet Union.

I know WHY Joe refuse that explanation. Because if he agrees with you then Joe must admit that West didn’t won Cold war. So it means that West isn’t that strong:).

[RusIvan]

The US should attempt to crash the oil market again, and send these dictators (Putin, Chavez, ect) packing.==

Only way to do it is to switch on hydrogen-powered energy. I’m by 2 hands for it because I see each days the smoking mirriads of cars on the streets of Moscow and I have to breath all that they exhume.

Toobad pres Bush squandered about 1 trln of dollars on his stupid war. So United States has no money for fanancing new researches.

[unspun]

Curves for us to cope with, rather than succumb to.

[Polybius]

If you considered yourself a loyal part of what "Nazi Germany" stood for and a loyal part of what "USSR" stood for, you deserved whatever you got along with the rest of "Nazi Germany" and the rest of the "USSR".

After 1917, during the Civil War, about 100,000 Jews were murdered in the Ukraine. Two decades of Soviet rule did little to eradicate the hostility against the Jews. During World War II, parts of the Ukrainian population collaborated with the Nazis in exterminating the Jews in occupied Ukraine

Massacres of Poles in Volhynia

Genocide and Rescue in Wolyn: Recollections of the Ukrainian Nationalist Ethnic Cleansing Campaign Against the Poles During World War II

[instantgratification]

Most of the peasants who died in the Holodomor were not loyal to the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks seized power; They were not supported by a majority of the Russian or the Ukrainian populations.

As for your first link, there were pogroms by Petliura’s men. But for most anti communists of the time, “Jew” = “Bolshevik”. Jews were disproportionately, in relation to their population, represented in the higher echelons of the Bolshevik party.

The canard that Ukrainians collaborated with the Nazis is absolutely false, a myth propagated by the Wiesenthal Centre to today. All research indicates that collaboration by the Ukrainian populace was of the same level as in other Allied countries - less than 1%. German archival documentation also provides proof that, despite their efforts to incite the local populace to pogroms, Ukrainians did not heed the call.

Now, having known individuals who survived the German invasion, I can tell you that the first thing the Germans did when entering a village was to locate the village’s Jews and their communists. They were round up and shot. Further, unlike in say, a French village, identifying Jews in Ukraine (and, to a lesser extent, Poland) was quite simple. Jews dressed differently from Ukrainians. They didn’t speak Ukrainian (only Polish or Yiddish).

As for Volhynia, this was carried out by UPA. Ukrainian nationalists allied neither with the Nazis nor the Soviets.

And, you may wish to link some articles on ethnic cleansing by Poles of Ukrainian villages; It was a two way street.

[instantgratification]

It was inevitable because the economy could not improve dramatically. You either have oppression or economic growth. In a Slav culture, you could not have both.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Ivan, I think you may have missed post 138 where instantgratification described glasnost and perestroika were the first steps of a major KGB crackdown. Indeed these policies were not intended to “let down the Soviet Union,” but to strengthen it. Gorbachev, your “first Russian in charge of the Soviet Union,” was just another evil communist murderer. He failed in his attempt to save the EVIL EMPIRE.

[instantgratification]

I’d agree that Gorbachev had no intention of changing anything.

He also was not the first Russian General Secretary. While Khrushchev and Brezhnev were both from Ukraine, both were ethnic Russians.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Ivan tries to give the credit to Gorbachev because he wants to deny it to Yeltsin, who is to be denounced as a western pawn.

[Little Ray]

Actually, I don’t think it would the front would have developed the way it did if Patton had been commanding it (on either side...). He had a fine understanding of history and Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow would have haunted his dreams until the fighting was concluded one way or another.

Then again, Patton would have never survived the USSR’s or Nazi Germany's political climate. Heck, he could barely survive the Allies...

Besides, they were not pearl handled - they were ivory!

[Little Ray]

Actually, I don’t think it would the front would have developed the way it did if Patton had been commanding it (on either side...). He had a fine understanding of history and Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow would have haunted his dreams until the fighting was concluded one way or another.

Then again, Patton would have never survived the USSR’s or Nazi Germany's political climate. Heck, he could barely survive the Allies...

Besides, they were not pearl handled - they were ivory!

[Armed Civilian]

It was never dead only in a self induced COMA.

[RasterMaster]

Whatever flag they fly, they are still commies...