Mike E-

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<i>"It strikes me as an example of the highly complex and contradictory nature of Soviet socialism that this story emerges in the same period as the other stories we have posted today."</i></blockquote>



-Your choice of the words "highly complex" and "contradictory" hit the nail right on the head.

Soviet Socialism at that time was something new and unparalled in human history.It was still learning how to walk-taking it's first steps,naturally falling and stumbling.It is to be expected mistakes in policy would be made- almost everything Soviet socialism encountered would entail a first-time learning process.There were bound to be errors committed.Perhaps I am showing a certain amount of naive communist trust here,but I am willing to give history's first Soviet Socialist Republic policy on crime and punishment the benefit of the doubt.

For us,all we can do is to study,debate and learn lessons from Soviet history- appying dialectical and historical materialism try to get it <i>right</i> the next time.



I'd like to somewhat deflect the angle of the ME post here and redirect it to the current situation in the US.

The subject of crime and prisons/rehab camps during Soviet times resonates quite strongly in my mind and is in certain aspects, I think, relevant to these times.

As most people know the barrios and ghettos of america are intensely crime infested-this infestation,especially gangs, being a terrible plague upon the people living in those communities.



People in the barrios don't worry about Osama or Al Qaeda..they have their own menacing terrorists who live in their own neighborhoods.I'm not exagerating when I say here the people in the hood live in a constant,ever present anxious,palpible state of terror.

Living in the barrio- I have given much thought to this subject.
I have also had long conversations with gang bangers,ex-cons from Folsom and San Quentin, friends who have family members currently serving time in pelican bay-supermax.

I personally have had to deal many times with criminals and gangs as well as with the fall out-the devastation ,the results of the terror they inflict on our communities.I've been to too many funerals for teenagers whose lives were struck down by bullets or knives.

During those emotionally exhausting funerals I see all to clearly the filthy evil hand of the ruling class,I see their snearing mocking faces above the caskets and the hysterical familes.Sheer devasation and catastrophy -the real <i>policy</i> of the ruling class.

My outlook,I have explained many times to many people in the barrio..(almost every one of them after hearing my analysis are in total agreement with me) is that the ruling class and it's national security apparatus..police,courts,snitches etc etc in fact want and need rampant crime in our communities for many reasons-all of them evil.

The worst nightmare for the ruling class would be communism in the barrio-organized politically advanced Latinos led by revolutionary marxist communists fighting for revolution and self-determination. This of course would require an organized,motivated and armed people.

The ruling class loves crime and gangs in the barrio.What better way to control and dominate them,to exploit them,keep them divided,hopeless,fatalistic.The goal of ruling class control in great part is to build and maintain a wall between the Latino people (especially the youth) and communist ideas.Ruling class interest is to have gangs creating more division,terrorism,chaos and anarchy in the community.They absolutely do not want to see and face the youth as a potential army of communist revolutionaries (now that would definitely be a disturbing nightmare for them).

The solution to crime and gangs in the Barrios is not more cops,courts, laws and prisons.
The only solution is to be found in communist revolution.

A communist inspired Latino community would I believe-organized around communist ideology and principles would do something not unlike what the old Soviet Socialists did with criminals and crime.Send those who cannot change and share to Rehabilitation camps.

And,for those criminals who are hard to the core evil,who refuse to change or who continue their predatory ways..they better run for the hills,because they shall be judged by the court of the people as enemies of the people,put in prison or executed.

The People in power are just.