Re: the Soviet Union and the quality of life

Wed, 21 Jan 1998 19:21:45 -0500 (EST)
Andrew Wayne Austin (aaustin@utkux.utcc.utk.edu)

Stephen Sanderson,

Chris has remarked on the civility of the conversation, perhaps sensing
that things might turn bad here. I don't want to disappoint him. I do want
to make a few points that I think are in order. You have dragged a red
herring (human nature) into this discussion in an attempt to diminish my
argument. This tactic is easily dismissed by simply noting it here. Your
constant cheerleading for the capitalist regime, passing off ideology as
having some scientific validity, frees me from wasting my time seriously
refuting your propaganda per se. I will only say that if the Soviet Union
I described seems to you like some parallel universe, then you are either:
(a) ignorant of the history and the character of the Soviet Union; or (b)
denying the facts. The latter carries motivations that I am definitely
inclined to attribute to you. Addressing your "arguments," therefore, is
more productive from the standpoint of *revealing* false assumptions
rather than *refuting* your conclusions. Of course, if the former is the
case, somebody in your position should be better informed. But I have
found that this expectation obviated by actual experience.

Andy