[Editor’s notes: The transcript of this document retains its original spellings, with corrections noted only where necessary for clarity.
[While there is no date, there are two references which suggest it was written in late 1977: first, there are several references to a speech given by Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev in early November; secondly, there is extensive discussion of the “new” constitution, which was adopted in October.]
GG-1-A1
TEACHINGS: It might be a good idea to show them a newsbook of news you have given. Your teachings on imperialism etc. should be stressed, the 4 dangers in enemies of communism (RATS), and the fact that you teach people to remember by using that trick (RATS) shows that you are an effective teacher/ 4 revisionitic ways of change legal, peaceful, democratic, and gradual would be important. They ought to hear one of your news broadcasts (they are incredible, and nowhere can you hear such a thing given daily to the people, without tv like in Russia, but even then people aren’t tested on what they learn etc.
HE WAS SURPRISED THAT YOU PRAISED STALIN: he said he felt it was good of the USSR people to be able to be self-critical on the issue of Stalin, but still I think he was most surprised that you could see praiseworthy qualities in Stalin. Even in Russia they feel the need to apologize for this time of the D of P, for this time of transition.
QUOTES FROM RUSSIAN PAMPHLETS YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE??
Brezhnev’s speech Nov. 2, 1977 re the Great Oct. Revolution and Mankind’s Progress
–Re: the revolutionary rebirth in Oct. “We were the first. And things had not been easy for us. We had to stand firm while being encircled by hostile forces. We had to break the shackles of centuries-old backwardness. We had to overcome the enormous force of historical inertia and learn to live in accordance with new principles – the principles of collectivism.”
(today after 6 decades of struggle and work “wehave held ourground; we have stood fast and won.”
“Honour and glory to the Soviet people to the people who have been victorious! Honour and glory to all generations of Soviet people, to the men and women, members of the Communist Party, and non-members, who had not spared strength, energy, and, whenever necessary, their very lives, in order to raise the Motherland to the summits of social progress!”
“Long live proletarian internationalism, that powerful weapon of the working people of all countries!”
Anarchy of production gave way to scientific, planned economic production.
It now takes only two and a half working days for our industry to produce as much as wasproduced in the whole year of 1913. (and this was in 1977) – you said if you recall in a news broadcast that the USSR outproduces the US by a great deal. (that shows motivation) (also lack of waste etc. and technological skill and development) Internationalism was firmly established in place of the psychology of national arrogance that had been implanted for ages.
–The increasing process of the drawing together of nations is seen in every sphere of life in our society. Such, comrades, is the outstanding result of the Leninist nationality policy; such as our experience, the epochal significance of which is indisputable.”
–A new constitution of the Soviet Union was adopted recently. It reaffirms that in our country the prime purpose of all transformations, of all changes is to provide the very person with conditions of living that are worthy of man. It gives further convincing proof that concepts of freedom, of human rights, democracy and social justice have become truly meaningful only under socialism.”
[Paragraph bracketed and underlined] (REMEMBER THEY CONSIDER THEMSELVES SOCIALISTS ON THE WAY TO COMMUNISM BUT ADMIT THEY HAVEN’T REACHED COMMUNISM YET. WE SHOULD THINK OUT WHETHER WE SHOULD IN ANY WAY ADMIT WE ARE IN TRANSITION. WE WANT TO BOTH BE BELIEVABLE BUT YET SHOW ALSO OUR COMMITMENT TO DIE FOR OUR CAUSE AND OUR HARD-WORKING ABILITY TO PRODUCE FOR USSR)
GG-1-A2
pg 2 Brezhnev’s speech cont.
Since 1967 the 50th Anniversary of Soviet power, our country’s economic potential has almost doubled.
The development of remote regions is a goal (Western and Eastern Siberia) – we can offer to be like their KOMSOMALS (Youth cadres who go into remote areas and help develop them) – our older people might have trouble with the extreme cold in some of these regions but it might be something to offer if we are desperate?????
“For each of us Leninist Communists, it is a source of the highest satisfaction that the Soviet people link all their achievements and victories with the Party. This is quite natural because the Party is inseparable from the people.” In its ranks are the finest representatives of the working class, the collective-farm peasantry and the people’s intelligentsia. It enjoys the people’s complete confidence.”
“Socialism can be victorious only if the working class and its vanguard, the Communists, are able to inspire and unite the working people as a whole in the struggle to build the new society, to transform the economy of all social relations along socialist lines.” (HERE AGAIN WE CAN BE OF USE. YOU ARE A GREAT MOTIVATOR AND I AM SURE THEY SUFFER A LACK OF SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION. I HAVE HEARD THEY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH REBELLIOUS YOUTH WHO HAVE INHERITED THE REVOLUTION, TAKE IT FOR GRANTED AND NEED REMOTIVATION ETC.)
ANOTHER USE OF US IS TO SOMEHOW LET THEM KNOW THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF DEALING WITH THE CAPITALIST MENTALITY COULD BE INVALUABLE. YOU COULD SERVE IN THIS MANNER TO GIVE SUGGESTIONS AS YOU ARE A STRATEGIST, OUR SURVIVAL PROVES THAT. HOWEVER, YOU WOULD NOT EXPECT OR EVEN WANT IN A POSITION IN GOVT. YOU ARE NOT SEEKING POWER, JUST TO BE OF ANY HELP IN ANY WAY, AS A FARMER OR A TEACHER.
Lenin said, making it clear to the American leaders of the time that “whether they like it or not, Soviet Russia is a great power in America has nothing to gain from the Wilsonian policy of piously refusing to deal with us on the grounds that our government is distasteful to them” (BREZHNEV SAID THIS IS JUST AS TRUE TODAY)
YOU MIGHT ALSO SUGGEST THAT YOU COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR STUDIES AND THEIR EXTRA-SENSORY PERCEPTION THO YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO OFFER THAT, BUT SINCE IT MEANS SO MUCH TO THEM RIGHT NOW, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO SPEAK OF???????? I DON’T KNOW IF YOU WOULD WALK YOUR ABILITIES TESTED OR HOW THAT WOULD BE DONE BUT IT’S AN IDEA (of course talking about healing as a means to an end might fascinate them, even the talk of shills and why only certain means could politicize this amount of people)
PAMPHLET: SOVIET DEMOCRACY PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE by K. Chernenko
– the first 5 year plan drawn by Lenin was called GOELRO. It’s importance for the industrialization of the country, for its economic and social development cannot be overstated.
– at the time of GOELRO Lenin compared Russia to a man beaten within an inch of his life (he needed so much) – to the plan was attached a drawing. In the centre of it was depicted a heart designated “electrification” and from it stretched lines to 5 squares identified as “food, clothing, housing, cluture, transport”
1923 a Union called DOWN WITH ILLITERACY was established. In 1929-30, schools to teach adults reading and writing were already attended by more than 32 million people.
BEGINNING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Dneiper hydropower station in the South
GG-1-A3
pg 3
of the USSR, the first auto works in Moscow, the giant by the standards of the time, Magnitogorsk metallurgical combine in the Urals, and to work the mines in the Kuznetsk coal basin in Siberia.
ELIMINATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT (THE “scourge of the working man in the capitalist world”) – the last labour exchange (to find jobs for unemployed) was closed down at the end of 1930. (I guess all were employed by then).
ONE HUNDRED NATIONS AND NATIONALITIES – ONE PEOPLE: Tsarism saw to it that futile and even patriarchal-tribal relations were preserved in extremely backward areas with industry. non-existent or embryonic. -100- Soviet nations and ethnic groups. (it would be wrong to think that the life of a multinational community was, or is, free of such phenomena as parochialism or national egoism and narrowmindedness. There are different traditions. Some of them serve as bridges which carry needless, outdated customs from the past to the present. The wheat of the past is not always, or not immediately sifted from the chaff.” (interesting that they use a bible quote talking about outword customs. This paragraph indicates in a subtle way some of their problems. It is not easy to unite a people so diverse, and I bet they have a lot of problems. Showing our great diversity would show our value. Don Freed set our people had to learn many different languages (he meant social languages) to be able to live together. We are an amazing amalgomation.
PRE-REVOLUTIONARY TIMES (Russian working people)
– millions died of starvation
– 76% of the population page 9 and over were illiterate
– 27 out of every 100 newborn children died within the 1st 12 mos.
THE SOVIET COUNTRYSIDE STILL LAGS BEHIND THE TOWN IN LIVING AND WORKING CONDITIONS AND IN OVERALL CULTURAL STANDARDS. BUT THEY ARE TRYING TO CLOSE THE GAP. (our model might help here)
SOCIAL CONSUMPTION FUNDS (to equalize life for the people/ there is still a certain inequality of members of our socialist society, especially in regards to material conditions. This is explained by differences in the kind of labor, in skill levels, the size of families.”
THE SOCIALIZATION FUNDS: pay for free education, free medical assistance
– they help keep the rent low.
– payments and benefits, many come from this fund
– this is what supports the pensioners or invalids our families that have lost breadwinners
– it pays for factory and office workers’ holidays and student’s allowances (NOT LIKE THE U. S. WHERE WORKERS ARE DEDUCTED FOR THIS. IT COMES FROM INCOMES OF ENTERPRISES AND COLLECTIVE FARMS, NOT WORKERS OR COLLECTIVE FARMERS)
– also pays for constructions of schools and kindergartens
SICK BENEFITS: everyone gets sick benefits in accordance with the length of service record. A 100% benefit is paid in case of disability resulting from an on-the-job accident or occupational disease.
DOCTORS: 862,000 drs. There [there’re] more than 1/3 of the world’s total # of doctors.
COMMUNIST PARTY:
Lenin attached great importance to the study of public opinion and in particular to written and oral appeals by the people. (Lenin referred to letters he received as “CONTROL
GG-1-A4
pg 4
FROM BELOW”
THE CPSU upholds and develops the Leninist principles in the procedure it adopts for examining letters from the working people. (SOUNDS JUST LIKE YOU JJ AND YOUR REACTION OF MAKING A SUGGESTION BOX TO BE SURE EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO YOU, BUT THEN YOU ASK EVERYONE TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND NOT USE IT AS MANIPULATION BUT INSTEAD AS ONE’S SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CAUSE)
(the USSR has found that letters often are in certain categories and then address themselves to the improvement of areas which are frequently mentioned on the same category such as the need to raise efficiency of production or improve the quality of work, or shortcomings in regard to the supply or quality of consumer goods and these go to another ministry for improvement/ another goes regarding need for stricter observance to party rules and greater discipline in the Party (these were taken into consideration in the 25th Congress of the CPSU) – violations of environmental protection are also studed and appropriate measures taken.
COMPOSITION OF THE USSR SUPREME SOVIET
(elected June 1974, their terms end in 1978)
– more than 50% (769 deputies) are workers and farmers
– the rest are: professional people such as engineers, artists, scientists, writers, teachers and doctors compose 9.3%
– Party, trade union and YCL (young communist league) officialsis 17%
– govt and state officials 14.2%
– servicemen 3.9%
(thus a person’s employment it is the source of his proficiency as a representative of the people)
no people constitute about 1/3 of the body of deputies of the country/ 1/5 of the delegates are under 40.
POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE SUPREME SOVIET DEPUTIES
– power to execute laws and implement decisions
– right to inspect the work of govt agencies, industrial enterprises and various organizations (they must exercise these powers within the limits of their jurisdiction (town, village etc.)
RESPONSIBILITIES:
– they must report to their electors not less than twice a year or once a year if they are deputies to the Supreme Soviets of the Union Republics
– may be required to report ahead of schedule if requested by the electors. Accounting to the constituents is like undergoing an examination and the “judges” are always exacting, strict and impartial
– thedeputy’s obligatory programme is the list or requests (urgent tasks) given by the voters during an election campaign as a deputy must consider these in his term of office
IF A DEPUTY DOES NOT MEASURE UP TO TO THE CONSTITUENTS EXPECTATIONS, HE CAN BE RECALLED
– takes a simple majority vote at an open meeting (show of hands)
– the principle of openness is the basic principle
freedoms:
– a oviet citizen can express his opinion or state his opinion anywhere and 1st of course at the place where he works
– one only has to attend a few turbulent meetings at factories and offices to see how false is the talk in the West about the alleged lack of freedom of speech under socialism
– every issue of any importance of the SU [Soviet Union] newspapers carries readers letters
GG-1-A5
pg 5
with various economic and social problems are raised and discussed in a serious manner
PRAVDA Founded in 1912 by Lenin which speaks for the Soviet Communist Party’s Central Committee receives an average of 450,000 letters a year.
i.e. issues of Pravda Dec. 1976. about 40 critical items addressed to 10 ministries and 15 regional or city Party Committees. Also includes appropriate action that 27 officials had taken against them and 7 of them were dismissed from their posts. Party of administrative sanctions had been applied to 2 Deputy ministers, several directors of enterprises and to Party functionaries.
ANY PERSON CAN TAKE PART IN THE PREPARATION OF DRAFT LEGISLATION: every major piece of legislation is discussed on a nation-wide scale before it can become law.
ANY INFRINGEMENT OF THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF CITIZENS IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE IN THE SOVIET UNION.
CONTRAST TO LACK OF FREEDOM IN US
– tho US calls USSR having a “lack of human rights” in the US “a suspected person is first arrested and only then is it decided if he should be released before the investigation is completed. For this money is demanded, so that sometimes a wrongly accused person has to pay a bail of tens of thousands of dollars for his own innocence. For instance, Angela Davis, the world-famous champion for civil rights in the US, was released on a bail of $102,500 – another case of freedom being equated with money.
THE NEW CONSTITUTION (just a few of the provisions)
– “constitution of communism under construction”
– the right of choice of profession, occupation, or work suited to one’s vocation, ability, education and special training, with the proviso that this choice must also conform to the requirements of society.
– the right to living accommodation
– civic freedoms (speech, press, assembly, rallies, street processions, and demonstrations)
– the responsibility of the state to concern itself with improving working conditions of citizens, raising their incomes etc.
EXAMPLE OF AN ARTICLE OF THE CONSTITUTION
Article 28 (re FOREIGN POLICY): “The USSR steadfastly pursues a Leninist policy of peace and stands for strengthening of the security of nations and broad international co-operation. The foreign policy of the USSR is aimed at ensuring international conditions favorable for building communism in the USSR, safeguarding the state interests of the Soviet Union, consolidating the positions of world socialism, supporting the struggle of peoples or national liberation and social progress, preventing wars of aggression, achieving universal and complete disarmament, and consistently implementing the principle of the peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems. In the USSR war propaganda is banned.”
CRITICISM OF STALIN (printed by National Council of American-Soviet Friendship)
“Stalin’s theory that the class struggle sharpened with the consolidation of socialism, which contradicted Lenin’s that it would lessen.”
“And this was exacerbated by Stalin’s paranoia which led to building himself up to a pinnacle of omnipotence, along with an ever-growing suspicion of anyone who might disagree even a hairsbreath with him.”
GG-1-A6
pg 6
His paranoia led to persecutions of 1000’s of innocent people as “enemies of the people” – led to a vast police apparatus. The resultant excessive centralization and growth of bureaucracy led to a sharp decline in the role of the Soviets during this period. (an ugly repressive power was raising obstacles during this time) NONE OF THE METHODS CAN BE CONDONED OF STALIN (but the book does remind the reader that the essence of socialism always remained even though Stalin was betraying it. Also without the real plots against the socialist state (so Stalin wasn’t just paranoid) Stalin’s mind might not have gotten increasingly sick and inflamed by sycophants and evil people around him.
RE EQUALITY OF THE SEXES:
– is laid down in the USSR Constitution, is guaranteed by relevant legislation and material facilities and is strictly observed
COMBATING OF HOOLIGANISM:
– people’s druzhinas or voluntary squads (factory and office workers, or university and college students who help maintain law and order in the streets, parks etc.)
– commissions for juvenile affairs to prevent anti-social behavior and also help reform unruly juveniles
(WE CAN OFFER HELP IN THIS AREA WITH SOME OF OUR EXPERIENCE)
SOCIALIST REALISM (a creative method of literature and art to provide a historically concrete interpretation of reality in its revolutionary development)
– the new life-asserting role that literature and art play in this society. (Westerners refuse to accept this method of art in a revolutionary role stating it manacles the wrists of artists and writers)
ABORTIONS ARE PERMITTED IN THE USSR (but contraceptives are encouraged) – They are very concerned in the study of contraceptives having no harmful side effects. They are studying this as they admit so far we do not have any completely reliable contraceptives that would not produce harmful side effects.