World History
Today is May Day. Through much of history, this has been a mostly benevolent holiday celebrating pagan traditions or those who labor. However, in the 20th century, May Day became a Communist spectacle where the military might of communist nations was paraded through the streets.
I grew up with TV images of Soviet armies parading through the streets of Moscow. I would see tanks, missiles, and armed men marching proudly and menacingly every year on May 1st. In the days when there were only three evening news programs every night (at 6:30), the marching communist military might was always shown every year.
I have to wonder how true believers in Communism feel now. Is May Day a let down? As the reds were so closely identified with May Day, do current events make them feel depressed when the day roles around every year? No matter how many men march in Moscow today, is it the same?
Communism has proven to be a failure. Only a few states continue to be ruled by Communist parties. China is communist in name but is clearly a quickly evolving capitalistic state. Cuba is just the death of a few people named Castro away from probably losing communism. North Korea is an anachronism (good communists in an age when communism is basically dead) and one of the poorest states in the world.
Yeah, the world is still in danger. There are states around the world which can cause mass destruction. There are countless nuclear weapons unaccounted for from the Soviet Union which may show up anywhere. The apocalypse may still happen in my lifetime.
However, I feel good today. The Cold War is over. The communists lost. My TV is not showing Soviet armies parading down the street. Happy May Day.
- The Failure Of Balkan Communism And The Causes Of The Revolutions Of 1989
The failure of Balkan Communism and the causes of the Revolutions of 1989. Steve Sowards of Michigan State University has this lecture up on the failure of communism in the Balkans. It is part of a larger Twenty-Five Lectures on Modern Balkans History....
- Communist Party Usa Donates Collection To Nyu
CNN has this report titled Communist Party USA donates collection to NYU. It should be quite the archive for scholars researching this doomed cause. The article notes, "The Communist Party USA has donated a vast collection of its photographs and documents,...
- Chinese Famine Of 1958-1961
Chinese Famine of 1958-1961 - An account of the genesis and the course of the disastrous induced famine of the late 1950's, as part of the Great Leap Forward. Or, as many have called this horrible social movement, the Great Leap Backwards. Communism...
- Bright Star Sound
Bright Star Sound - The story of Stanislav Petrov, a Russian officer whose refusal to launch a nuclear strike, in response to a false report of a US attack, averted a nuclear war in 1983. From the site: In 1983 in Russia, there was a man who would...
- Wikinfo - Soviet Union
Wikinfo - Soviet Union. This is an article on the former Soviet Union for the Web encyclopedia Wikinfo. It has a synopsis of Soviet history. From the site: Unhappiness with the Russian involvement in World War I led to the Russian Revolution in...
World History
Happy May Day
Today is May Day. Through much of history, this has been a mostly benevolent holiday celebrating pagan traditions or those who labor. However, in the 20th century, May Day became a Communist spectacle where the military might of communist nations was paraded through the streets.I grew up with TV images of Soviet armies parading through the streets of Moscow. I would see tanks, missiles, and armed men marching proudly and menacingly every year on May 1st. In the days when there were only three evening news programs every night (at 6:30), the marching communist military might was always shown every year.
I have to wonder how true believers in Communism feel now. Is May Day a let down? As the reds were so closely identified with May Day, do current events make them feel depressed when the day roles around every year? No matter how many men march in Moscow today, is it the same?
Communism has proven to be a failure. Only a few states continue to be ruled by Communist parties. China is communist in name but is clearly a quickly evolving capitalistic state. Cuba is just the death of a few people named Castro away from probably losing communism. North Korea is an anachronism (good communists in an age when communism is basically dead) and one of the poorest states in the world.
Yeah, the world is still in danger. There are states around the world which can cause mass destruction. There are countless nuclear weapons unaccounted for from the Soviet Union which may show up anywhere. The apocalypse may still happen in my lifetime.
However, I feel good today. The Cold War is over. The communists lost. My TV is not showing Soviet armies parading down the street. Happy May Day.
- The Failure Of Balkan Communism And The Causes Of The Revolutions Of 1989
The failure of Balkan Communism and the causes of the Revolutions of 1989. Steve Sowards of Michigan State University has this lecture up on the failure of communism in the Balkans. It is part of a larger Twenty-Five Lectures on Modern Balkans History....
- Communist Party Usa Donates Collection To Nyu
CNN has this report titled Communist Party USA donates collection to NYU. It should be quite the archive for scholars researching this doomed cause. The article notes, "The Communist Party USA has donated a vast collection of its photographs and documents,...
- Chinese Famine Of 1958-1961
Chinese Famine of 1958-1961 - An account of the genesis and the course of the disastrous induced famine of the late 1950's, as part of the Great Leap Forward. Or, as many have called this horrible social movement, the Great Leap Backwards. Communism...
- Bright Star Sound
Bright Star Sound - The story of Stanislav Petrov, a Russian officer whose refusal to launch a nuclear strike, in response to a false report of a US attack, averted a nuclear war in 1983. From the site: In 1983 in Russia, there was a man who would...
- Wikinfo - Soviet Union
Wikinfo - Soviet Union. This is an article on the former Soviet Union for the Web encyclopedia Wikinfo. It has a synopsis of Soviet history. From the site: Unhappiness with the Russian involvement in World War I led to the Russian Revolution in...