Damn, I missed that part when I read it and a Rare L to Parenti. Thanks for pointing this out. It is still a good book to dispel cheap anticommunist rhetoric but maybe there are other books that do a better job in attacking liberalism for beginners 🤔
Funnily enough, Belarus still has their state factory for tractors up and running. They didn’t lose most of their manufacturing compared to the other ex soviet states that fell to neoliberalism. This goes to show how dangerous is to be misinformed as an author.
Considering how soon after the collapse this was I’d say it’s forgiven to hold a pessimistic view of any post soveit leader who didn’t explicitly declare themselves a communist.
He makes similiar remarks about China’s reform and opening up if I’m not mistaken. The whole period was undeniably a dismal time for the international communist movement, and it’s hard imagine someone coming to our current perspective after appreciating the gravity of capitlist victory.
I don’t find it hard to believe Belarus would have been plunged into poverty, the entire soveit trade network collapsed, any country in those conditions would be desolate as can be seen with the entire post soveit world.
Yeah, in Parenti’s defense it’s fair to be skeptical in the 90s. Shit was bleak and there was a lack of clarity going on amidst all the neolib disinfo and triumphalism.
The whole period was undeniably a dismal time for the international communist movement, and it’s hard imagine someone coming to our current perspective after appreciating the gravity of capitlist victory.
Very true. This may explain his views. Thanks for sharing this!
Damn, I missed that part when I read it and a Rare L to Parenti. Thanks for pointing this out. It is still a good book to dispel cheap anticommunist rhetoric but maybe there are other books that do a better job in attacking liberalism for beginners 🤔
Funnily enough, Belarus still has their state factory for tractors up and running. They didn’t lose most of their manufacturing compared to the other ex soviet states that fell to neoliberalism. This goes to show how dangerous is to be misinformed as an author.
Considering how soon after the collapse this was I’d say it’s forgiven to hold a pessimistic view of any post soveit leader who didn’t explicitly declare themselves a communist.
He makes similiar remarks about China’s reform and opening up if I’m not mistaken. The whole period was undeniably a dismal time for the international communist movement, and it’s hard imagine someone coming to our current perspective after appreciating the gravity of capitlist victory.
I don’t find it hard to believe Belarus would have been plunged into poverty, the entire soveit trade network collapsed, any country in those conditions would be desolate as can be seen with the entire post soveit world.
Yeah, in Parenti’s defense it’s fair to be skeptical in the 90s. Shit was bleak and there was a lack of clarity going on amidst all the neolib disinfo and triumphalism.
Very true. This may explain his views. Thanks for sharing this!