Essay Project
Was Soviet Russia anything like the communism described in The Communist Manifesto?
Tucker 1
Sam Tucker
Professor Hadjisterkoti
English 11
30 May 2014
The Soviet Russians
Introduction:
Soviet Russia was the most “communist” country in the world – the biggest, both ideologically and physically, communist experiment in the history of mankind. Soviet Russia was nothing like the communism described in The Communist Manifesto. The Soviet Union differs from Marx's communism in several major areas, three of which will be described here. Marx's vision for society was classless, sexually egalitarian and internationalist.
The privileged class -
Marx described communism as a stateless, classless society lacking private property. Marx begins his largest chapter of his Communist Manifesto with"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." (Page 3) Marx saw class as what divided man and created conflict, his solution to the conflict being to abolish the problem; the problem being class.
In reality, communist Russia was hardly communist at all. Assigned (see private) property abounded, with the elite owing large dachas. The West was indeed closer to communism than Soviet Russia, as in the West all people of all classes were equal under the law (at least in principle). In Soviet Russia a dissident could be jailed for owning the same seditious book a high-ranking party member could possess with impunity. In addition, a percentage of airplane seats, hotel rooms and stores were reserved exclusively for the elite (Page 43-45). Closed showings of otherwise censored Western films abounded, where the elite could see what the ordinary man couldn't. In the West such a strict class system does not exist, as anyone can buy a ticket to any movie. Cars were another important privilege of the elite. Brezhnev had a taste for fancy cars, and they became a status symbol.
Money meant nothing in the Soviet Union. The elite were hardly paid more than the commoners, yet the privileges are go beyond monetary value. This deceptively creates the impression of greater equality. Many people were better paid than the top Soviet officials, yet those lacking the ability to travel to the West have nowhere to spend it (Page 46).
Women -
Marx strongly believed in the equality of women. While some early socialists, like Proudhon, strongly defended patriarchal social structures and traditional gender roles, Marx was a passionate emancipationist. He believed women and men should occupy the same social positions and that gender roles should be done away with. Marx wrote in his Communist Manifesto that communists want to do away with women's status as a means of production.
The Soviet Union, despite its noble efforts at gender equality, still retained Russia's deep-rooted male chauvinistic attitudes. Women were expected to take care of the children and work. Taking care of the children was exclusively the woman's job. Spousal abuse was frequent, and a man who did not get drunk and beat his wife was thought of as "not much of a man." (Page 128) Domestic chores, such as housekeeping and child rearing, were still relegated to women. While intellectual types were not as sexist, some still regarded intellectual matters as "not for the wives" (Page 129). A distinctly Russian practice was the leaving of all financial matter to the wife. Most men simply turned over their paychecks to their wives and let them manage it. While Russian wives managed finances, men are still the head of the household.
Despite the rushed and overwhelming life of Soviet women, they still felt compelled to work. This is largely for financial reasons, as pay is too low for a man to support a family on his own, but also because Russian women were stigmatized if they did not work (130). Soviet propaganda pushes on women the importance of work. Many Russian women would feel unfulfilled if they did not work.
Nationalism
Although Marx's communism was internationalist, or even anti-nationalist, many communist countries effectively replaced religion with an all-pervading nationalism. In Albania, Enver Hoxha once remarked; "The only religion in Albania is Albanianism". Hoxha got his idea from Stalin's USSR, where national pride was played up starting with World War II, with the Internationale (which has an extremely internationalist message) with the National Anthem of the Soviet Union (one of the most nationalistic songs ever written, apart from Wagner). The National Anthem of the Soviet Union heaps praise upon "The Great Rus" and "Our 'free' Motherland."
The Second World War is played up, as it is used to encourage Soviet unity. During World War Two the various ethnicities put aside their mutual distaste for each other and their resentment at being forced into the Soviet Union so that they could have a chance at defeating the Germans. The horrors of the War are played down, however. What the government wants people to remember the War as is a heroic event, a time of glory and patriotism. The Soviet media covers the War as if it is still going on. Movies, books and TV shows mostly deal with the Second World War and the heroics of the Soviet warriors. Even in the high schools war is played up. Children are drilled and sent off to play war games. Such games are not taken as casual fun, but but with a deathly seriousness.
Conclusion:
This Soviet experiment was nothing like the the communism described in the Communist Manifesto. In these key areas, and others as well, the Soviet Union either differs or is the opposite of what Marx described. The Soviet Union was not the classless society Marx described, but rather had a even more prevalent class system than the West. Although the Soviet Union did take steps to promote gender equality, women could still not be called emancipated. Marx's views and the Soviet reality were directly opposing on the topic of nationalism. Marx would have liked to have seen nationalism abolished completely, yet the Soviet Union pushed nationalism with a fervor matched only by the most aggressive Western chauvinism. The Soviet Union was by almost any measure a failure, although the reasons for this and the prevalence of communism and Marxism today is one of the most uncertain topics in the world today.
Tucker 1
Sam Tucker
Professor Hadjisterkoti
English 11
30 May 2014
The Soviet Russians
Introduction:
Soviet Russia was the most “communist” country in the world – the biggest, both ideologically and physically, communist experiment in the history of mankind. Soviet Russia was nothing like the communism described in The Communist Manifesto. The Soviet Union differs from Marx's communism in several major areas, three of which will be described here. Marx's vision for society was classless, sexually egalitarian and internationalist.
The privileged class -
Marx described communism as a stateless, classless society lacking private property. Marx begins his largest chapter of his Communist Manifesto with"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." (Page 3) Marx saw class as what divided man and created conflict, his solution to the conflict being to abolish the problem; the problem being class.
In reality, communist Russia was hardly communist at all. Assigned (see private) property abounded, with the elite owing large dachas. The West was indeed closer to communism than Soviet Russia, as in the West all people of all classes were equal under the law (at least in principle). In Soviet Russia a dissident could be jailed for owning the same seditious book a high-ranking party member could possess with impunity. In addition, a percentage of airplane seats, hotel rooms and stores were reserved exclusively for the elite (Page 43-45). Closed showings of otherwise censored Western films abounded, where the elite could see what the ordinary man couldn't. In the West such a strict class system does not exist, as anyone can buy a ticket to any movie. Cars were another important privilege of the elite. Brezhnev had a taste for fancy cars, and they became a status symbol.
Money meant nothing in the Soviet Union. The elite were hardly paid more than the commoners, yet the privileges are go beyond monetary value. This deceptively creates the impression of greater equality. Many people were better paid than the top Soviet officials, yet those lacking the ability to travel to the West have nowhere to spend it (Page 46).
Women -
Marx strongly believed in the equality of women. While some early socialists, like Proudhon, strongly defended patriarchal social structures and traditional gender roles, Marx was a passionate emancipationist. He believed women and men should occupy the same social positions and that gender roles should be done away with. Marx wrote in his Communist Manifesto that communists want to do away with women's status as a means of production.
The Soviet Union, despite its noble efforts at gender equality, still retained Russia's deep-rooted male chauvinistic attitudes. Women were expected to take care of the children and work. Taking care of the children was exclusively the woman's job. Spousal abuse was frequent, and a man who did not get drunk and beat his wife was thought of as "not much of a man." (Page 128) Domestic chores, such as housekeeping and child rearing, were still relegated to women. While intellectual types were not as sexist, some still regarded intellectual matters as "not for the wives" (Page 129). A distinctly Russian practice was the leaving of all financial matter to the wife. Most men simply turned over their paychecks to their wives and let them manage it. While Russian wives managed finances, men are still the head of the household.
Despite the rushed and overwhelming life of Soviet women, they still felt compelled to work. This is largely for financial reasons, as pay is too low for a man to support a family on his own, but also because Russian women were stigmatized if they did not work (130). Soviet propaganda pushes on women the importance of work. Many Russian women would feel unfulfilled if they did not work.
Nationalism
Although Marx's communism was internationalist, or even anti-nationalist, many communist countries effectively replaced religion with an all-pervading nationalism. In Albania, Enver Hoxha once remarked; "The only religion in Albania is Albanianism". Hoxha got his idea from Stalin's USSR, where national pride was played up starting with World War II, with the Internationale (which has an extremely internationalist message) with the National Anthem of the Soviet Union (one of the most nationalistic songs ever written, apart from Wagner). The National Anthem of the Soviet Union heaps praise upon "The Great Rus" and "Our 'free' Motherland."
The Second World War is played up, as it is used to encourage Soviet unity. During World War Two the various ethnicities put aside their mutual distaste for each other and their resentment at being forced into the Soviet Union so that they could have a chance at defeating the Germans. The horrors of the War are played down, however. What the government wants people to remember the War as is a heroic event, a time of glory and patriotism. The Soviet media covers the War as if it is still going on. Movies, books and TV shows mostly deal with the Second World War and the heroics of the Soviet warriors. Even in the high schools war is played up. Children are drilled and sent off to play war games. Such games are not taken as casual fun, but but with a deathly seriousness.
Conclusion:
This Soviet experiment was nothing like the the communism described in the Communist Manifesto. In these key areas, and others as well, the Soviet Union either differs or is the opposite of what Marx described. The Soviet Union was not the classless society Marx described, but rather had a even more prevalent class system than the West. Although the Soviet Union did take steps to promote gender equality, women could still not be called emancipated. Marx's views and the Soviet reality were directly opposing on the topic of nationalism. Marx would have liked to have seen nationalism abolished completely, yet the Soviet Union pushed nationalism with a fervor matched only by the most aggressive Western chauvinism. The Soviet Union was by almost any measure a failure, although the reasons for this and the prevalence of communism and Marxism today is one of the most uncertain topics in the world today.
References
- Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, Samuel Moore, and David McLellan. The Communist Manifesto. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. Print.
- Smith, Hedrick. The Russians. City: Publisher. Date.