I bet the book is nice, I wonder if it actually described the stages of the government rot that I lived through (stages 2-3):
1. Crazy fringe psycho-sadist take power, backed by the Russian army (1944-1953). Mass murders and gulag-“like camps all over, political cleanse and mass collectivization of land and means of production. Many “fun” stories courtesy of my grandparents.
2. After the death of Stalin the personality cult was thrown in the gutter and all was blamed on him. Promises were made for more humane socialism and bigger riches. Overall good 20-25 years ensued. My parents got university degrees, good jobs and stability. Little dissent since people remembered stage 1 and were generally on the upswing. Industry was build, mainly to support sectors the USSR deemed “important”.
3. “The ship is sinking. Full steam ahead!”... as the west was roaring past us and everyone was getting snippets of their untold riches and freedoms, the rot started from the head. Anybody in any position power was stealing, looting and bartering favors. The smell of change, like a March morning in Ohio, was in the air. There was a some foment from the bottom, but make absolutely no mistake, the change came from the top. People, who later were outed out as police informants, “emerged” as opposition leaders. Change came and more wealth was looted through “privatization”.
Fast forward 35 years and the former Eastern block resembles South America. The only saving grace is constant euro-pumping from the west. Sadly, with wokeness plaguing the EU, there’s a palpable feeling that another change is in the air...
The book absolutely does cover stages 2 and 3. I tend to write more than I should, so I'm making a conscious effort to shorten my reviews which meant, in this case, skipping over everything post Stalin.
That privatization was really something... You obviously know it much better than I, but from an outsider's perspective it looked like one of the biggest looting jobs in recent memory.
I'll bet your grandparents had loads of "fun" stories, as anyone would who survived that era.
Great review. I might read it, if I can stock up enough Vodka to handle the misery. That, I know, is how the men in Russia deal with their country. And they die about 25 years earlier than the rest of the developed world. A hail the glorious revolution!
When I was in Russia I drank a bottle of vodka every two days. It's $3 a bottle and every shop sells it!
You're right, the life expectancy in Russia is famously short. Something about rampant smoking, alcohol use, vitamin D deficiency and dangerous jobs just doesn't contribute to a long life.
The White Pill is an excellent book. I was a bit depressed after reading it. Communism wants to make a comeback today and the book underscores why it's so important to not forget history and push back, hard.
That's awesome you've read it too! It seriously is a depressing book. One might think that with all the evidence of communism's failure we wouldn't even remotely consider anything in that direction, and yet here we are. But it will work out well this time, right?
I bet the book is nice, I wonder if it actually described the stages of the government rot that I lived through (stages 2-3):
1. Crazy fringe psycho-sadist take power, backed by the Russian army (1944-1953). Mass murders and gulag-“like camps all over, political cleanse and mass collectivization of land and means of production. Many “fun” stories courtesy of my grandparents.
2. After the death of Stalin the personality cult was thrown in the gutter and all was blamed on him. Promises were made for more humane socialism and bigger riches. Overall good 20-25 years ensued. My parents got university degrees, good jobs and stability. Little dissent since people remembered stage 1 and were generally on the upswing. Industry was build, mainly to support sectors the USSR deemed “important”.
3. “The ship is sinking. Full steam ahead!”... as the west was roaring past us and everyone was getting snippets of their untold riches and freedoms, the rot started from the head. Anybody in any position power was stealing, looting and bartering favors. The smell of change, like a March morning in Ohio, was in the air. There was a some foment from the bottom, but make absolutely no mistake, the change came from the top. People, who later were outed out as police informants, “emerged” as opposition leaders. Change came and more wealth was looted through “privatization”.
Fast forward 35 years and the former Eastern block resembles South America. The only saving grace is constant euro-pumping from the west. Sadly, with wokeness plaguing the EU, there’s a palpable feeling that another change is in the air...
The book absolutely does cover stages 2 and 3. I tend to write more than I should, so I'm making a conscious effort to shorten my reviews which meant, in this case, skipping over everything post Stalin.
That privatization was really something... You obviously know it much better than I, but from an outsider's perspective it looked like one of the biggest looting jobs in recent memory.
I'll bet your grandparents had loads of "fun" stories, as anyone would who survived that era.
Great review. I might read it, if I can stock up enough Vodka to handle the misery. That, I know, is how the men in Russia deal with their country. And they die about 25 years earlier than the rest of the developed world. A hail the glorious revolution!
When I was in Russia I drank a bottle of vodka every two days. It's $3 a bottle and every shop sells it!
You're right, the life expectancy in Russia is famously short. Something about rampant smoking, alcohol use, vitamin D deficiency and dangerous jobs just doesn't contribute to a long life.
The White Pill is an excellent book. I was a bit depressed after reading it. Communism wants to make a comeback today and the book underscores why it's so important to not forget history and push back, hard.
That's awesome you've read it too! It seriously is a depressing book. One might think that with all the evidence of communism's failure we wouldn't even remotely consider anything in that direction, and yet here we are. But it will work out well this time, right?
Suuuuuure. 😂