Paging the communists

Five, 7.15, Gorbachev discussing communism

Should be better than Eastenders.

 

SOMEONE TAPE IT....

 

If I'd seen this I would have taped it for you.

It was the beginner's guide, so you didn't miss anything you don't
already know. His love for his wife shone through the whole programme.

 

I'd be interested in his view on the machinations against him by both the
hardline and the opportunists.

Would he have implemented the program of internal change (Perestroika)
differently in hindsight or would it have always been a classic recipe
for revolution (raised but unfulfilled expectations)?

I have a feeling that without him the two tribes would have gone to war
in about 1995.

 

He seemed to be of the opinion that it was the attempted coup that
finished communism, as it was carried out in the name of communism.
The people were then unable to distinguish between progressive
communism and the hardline elements, and wanted away with both.

He seemed a bit sad about that, as though he still believed in
communism as a system, but needed to combine it with freedom, and
that he felt the coup had ended his chances of trying that out before
they'd really begun.

However, he did close by saying that communism is inherently unworkable
because it works contrary to human nature - a wholly reasonable view,
but not one I ever expected to hear from someone with his background.
He then went on to say the same about capitalism, suggesting that
capitalism may be due for its own perestroika.

First half was Bolshevik Communism For Beginners, second half (the fall)
was far more interesting. I've still got it on my pvr if you find
yourself in the area, but no way of transferring it off...

 

The interesting question is what Krushchev or Andropov might have
done: Krushchev if he hadn't been humiliated by that cretin Kennedy
and Andropov if he'd lived. They both seemed to understand the need
for reforms if the USSR was to continue.

The best assessment I've seen is that finding oil was a disaster for
Russia because it then didn't need to reform. It lived on cheap energy
and covered up its economic decline. Not like any other country
hereabouts.

 

Aye, he did mention that, saying that Kruschev had started reforms
which looked promising, but was fucked over by Brezhnev. It was all
a bit "history-lite", but interesting to hear it from the perspective
of one who was there.

I have another set of documentaries about the collapse of Yugoslavia
in a similar vein, where the story is told through interviews with
the likes of Karadzic, Milosovic, etc. Tis vg.

 

You have a girl's PVR, then.

 

I have a cheap old PVR. I download plenty from UKNova, and burn a lot
of it to CD. Now I have lots of CDs of stuff I'm never going to watch
again.

So I don't think I'm missing much, really.

 

I have another set of documentaries about the collapse of Yugoslavia

Do you have the titles for these? I'm pretty interested in seeing if I
can download them, having been in BiH at the end of hostilities (when
IFOR handed over to SFOR).

 

It was a three parter called "The Death Of Yugoslavia"

On the original topic, the Gorbachev thing seems to be on UKNova now,
title "Big Ideas That Changed The World"

 

Thanks - I remember seeing that a few years ago.