The Russian Effort to Abolish Marriage

TheAtlantic ^ | July 1926 | A Woman Resident in Russia

[RogerFGay]

The question whether marriage as an institution should be abolished is now being debated all over Russia with a violence and depth of passion unknown since the turbulent early days of the Revolution. Last October a bill eliminating distinctions between registered and unregistered marriages and giving the unmarried consort the status and property rights of the legal wife was introduced in the Tzik, or Central Executive Committee. So much unforeseen opposition to the proposed law developed that the Tzik decided to postpone its final adoption until the next session, meanwhile initiating a broad popular discussion of the project.

Since that time factories, offices, clubs, and various Soviet organizations and institutions have passed resolutions for and against the bill, and the halls have not been able to hold the eager crowds that thronged to the meetings in city, town, and village. One must live in Russia to-day, amid the atmosphere of torment, disgust, and disillusionment that pervades sex relations, the chaos, uncertainty, and tragedy that hover over the Russian family, to understand the reasons for this heated discussion, for these passionate pros and cons. ... cont.

[grey_whiskers]

Anti-Commie, Truth-Based Sarcasm Torpedo ARMED. FIRE!!

Well, both Bill Clinton

and Barack Obama...

would probably be foursquare behind this!

Sarah Palin and Todd...

Not so much.

Cheers!

[ecomcon]

How can we be going down this same road? 1926 all over again.

[Fiji Hill]

When they do their dance, they wear bloomer pants.
When they take a drink, they don't stop to think.
Far, far, far, far away in that Bolsheviki land....

--from Bolshevik, recorded by Waring's Pennsylvanians
Victor 20146, 1926

[mlocher]

I haven’t had my coffee yet. For today only, “No cheers to you.” (smile)

[mlocher]

1960s free love ping

[Mr. Jeeves]

I thought Russia did that decades ago by turning 90% of their male population into alcoholics? ;)

[RogerFGay]

The family is our basic social unit - a fundamental element in a free society. The political class doesn’t want us to have that anymore, so they’re destroying the family. It’s a continuation of a path defined in the 1960s that began to take hold in a big way in the 1980s, and into full fruition during Clinton’s presidency in the 1990s. During the 1990s, the national discussion was pretty much copy-pasted from the old Russian debates. Now that civilization lost, the old media is not going to allow a national discussion to start up again. We are now required to accept what happened.

[RogerFGay]

The article was published in 1926.

[madinmadtown]

My observations in Russia is that the wedding industry is flourishing as in the US, but the marriage institution is in serious trouble.

[RogerFGay]

The pimps are doing well. In the US, the pimps are politicians and judges - the system is more socialized than in Russia.

[IbJensen]

What opinion has the politburo on allowing their army of homosexuals to wed?

[eleni121]

Thank for posting this...as a reminder of the horrors that were visited upon the Russian people and now being pushed upon us.

[dsc]

“1960s free love ping”

Everyone with an interest in this subject should read every word of this book, carefully:

http://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Decadence-Western-Cultural-Present/dp/0060928832

It gave me a whole new perspective on both the emergence of communism in Russia and the 1960s. It can be seen that all these phenomena are instances of the extrusion of the same force.

These movements all seem to have a few things in common, and the most conspicuous of these is *more sex.* Go with us, and you’ll have sexual access to a larger number of partners.

This effort to ban marriage shows me that communism is far from dead in Russia.

[Theo]

bump

[Cacique]

btt

[informavoracious]

That's it. Weddings are now about the extravagant party, not about the comitment of marriage. I have heard so many young co-habitating couples say they 'can't afford to get married.' What they mean is they can't afford an obscenely expensive dream wedding and reception.

Simply getting married doesn't have to cost a lot. Some 'can't afford it' because the woman will lose welfare benefits, as a couple will be less likely to meet income restrictions.

It's a crazy mixed-up world where it is far more lucrative for lower income couples to have kids out of wedlock rather than within.

[mlocher]

This effort to ban marriage shows me that communism is far from dead in Russia.

You are correct. And far from dead in many other parts of the world.

[Bokababe]

"This effort to ban marriage shows me that communism is far from dead in Russia.

"You are correct. And far from dead in many other parts of the world."

It should have been made very clear when it was posted:

THIS ARTICLE IS DATED JULY, 1926!

[Cindy]

Slightly off topic...

...and now something a bit more modern speaking of Russian’s youths:

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/nashi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeA6y2vFXgU

“Nashi: Putin’s Enthusiasts - Russia”

Video Description - Quote:

Added: November 30, 2007
(less info)
Nov 2007
Ahead of this weekend’s Russian election, we offer you a new report on the controversial youth group at the centre of the pro-Putin cult.

The Nashi worship their leader - and aren’t scared of letting the world know it. Members have disrupted the campaigns of rival candidates, staged rowdy demonstrations over foreign policy issues and harassed the British and Estonian ambassadors.

Category: News & Politics
Tags: Nashi Russia Putin Cult Youth Group Worship Parades Journeyman Pictures