Communism

In response to a letter by Mary Ann Curtis (“Boris Yeltsin and Russia,” Jan. 6):

I’m a recent resident in Los Angeles; I came here last March from what was then the Soviet Union. I know the situation in that country not from books, news or theory but from my own personal experience. What Curtis writes about is some theoretical grounds of Bolshevism and communism, which was taught to every Soviet citizen starting from primary school through post-graduate education. I’d like to bring some facts that Curtis might not be aware of.

One of the first things Lenin did after taking power in the course of Nov. 7, 1917, revolution was executing (actually, shooting) all members of the czar family, including small children. And after that could anyone call Lenin a true democrat?

One of the ideas Lenin produced and which became very popular in U.S.S.R. was “the goal justifies its means.” And this slogan was widely used for seven decades, justifying all the mass killings.

Many orthodox communists still believe, like Curtis does, that Lenin was good, but Stalin destroyed his ideas which never were implemented. My parents also believed the beautiful and attractive words Bolsheviks produced in numbers, and they went to the U.S.S.R. in ‘30s.

Living 54 years under communism, I am sure that this ideology is just the same as fascism, only flavored with different wordings. Its essence is hatred, one god and religion for all (Lenin and communism), no civil rights and killing anyone who doesn’t accept or share the official ideology.

Bolsheviks and their supporters cannot understand that state ownership means no ownership, when nothing belongs to anyone or all the assets belong to no one. And this mere fact results in a lack of responsibility, productivity, incentives to work, etc. At least today it should be obvious that a system based on those principles simply cannot work and develop.

PAUL R. FRIEDMAN

Los Angeles