Practice Good Theory Blog Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 "The Great Famine (PBS documentary)" hit Soviet Russia in 1921, when war and communist mismanagement exacerbated a period of bad weather. The scenes were pitiful: hungry people looking like skeletons from the Nazi camps, 10 million dead, and stories of cannibalism. The U.S. came to the rescue, sending tonnes of food to Soviet Russia. While "American Relief Association" had people in Russia, managing the supplies, local commissars often managed to use the food as a political tool to favor some and deprive others. The U.S. helped the Soviets, until the Lenin realized that he needed to allow a little more economic freedom with his "New Economic Plan". In the U.S., leftist journalists helped the Soviet cause. They said food aid should not be used to help just ideas and people who were more amenable to U.S. policies. So, in truly christian style, the U.S. should turn the other cheek, love its enemies, and help all alike. Herbert Hoover led the organization of the relief effort, proving that his handling of the stock market crash of 1929 was not his first piece of great management skills being strategically misdirected to cause more pain. ( More from Wikipedia) Overall, an interesting documentary. Blog cross-posted with permission Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark2 Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 (edited) The U.S. helped the Soviets all along, starting with the Bolsheviks. Listen to this hour long interview with Anthony Sutton, made in 1980, about the help given the Soviets and Nazis: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6987303668075230852# Unfortunately the interviewer appends his own ideas at the end after the interview is over. His manner turns me off but Anthony Sutton is well worth listening to. You can skip the interviewer’s introduction too. (The picture quality is very poor, almost useless.) One of Anthony Sutton’s books was favorably reviewed in The Objectivist (January 1970), the first volume of Western Technology and Soviet Economic Development which ultimately totalled three volumes: 1917-1930, 1930-1945, 1945-1965 Edited September 6, 2011 by Mark2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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