Fall Of Russian Communism Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Fall Of Russian Communism Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Fall Of Russian Communism The Reasons for the fall of Socialism/Communism and the Troubles of Starting the New Democratic System in the Russian Federation Let's not talk about Communism. Communism was just an idea, just pie in the sky. Boris Yeltsin (b. 1931), Russian politician, president. Remark during a visit to the U.S. Quoted in: Independent (London, 13 Sept. 1989). The fall of the Communist regime in the Soviet Union was more than a political event. The powerful bond between economics and politics that was the integral characteristic of the state socialist system created a situation that was unique for the successor states of the Soviet Union. The Communist regime was so ingrain in every aspect of Soviet life that the Russian people were left with little democratic tradition. Russia faces the seemingly impracticable task of economic liberalization and democratization. This is combined with the fact that the new administration must address human rights issues, such as living conditions and the supply of staple goods in this new form of administration makes the prospect of a full democratic switch seemingly impossible. To fully understand the scope of the transference of governing power in the Russian Federation, one must first look at the old Socialist/Communist regime, to see the circumstances under which it fell gives a good view of why this transference is almost impossible. In the beginning Communism seemed to the people of Russia as a utopian ideal. The promise of the elimination of classes, of guaranteed employment , The creation of a comprehensive social security and welfare system for all citizens that would end the misery of workers once and for all. Lenin's own interpretation of the Marxian critique was that to achieve Communism there would first have to be a socialist dictatorship to first suppress any dissent or protest. Through coercive tactics this new government seized power and in 1917 Lenin came to power. Under his rule the Soviet Union underwent radical changes in it's economic doctrines adopting a mixed economy which was termed the New Economic Policy also referred to as NEP, this economy called for some private ownership of the means of production, but the majority of industry was made property of the people, which meant the majority of the means of production was controlled by the government. Lenin's government made many achievements. It ended a long civil war against the remnants of the old Czarist military system and established institutions in government. During this period, and in fact throughout the majority of the Communist rule, censorship and the subordination of interest groups such as trade unions was imposed to stop dissension and increase conformity to the new governments policies. Lenin died in 1924, and was quickly followed by Joseph Stalin as head of the Soviet Communist Party, the oppressive reforms started by Lenin were continued and at length became completely totalitarian. Stalin became the most powerful man in Russia. He controlled to bulk of all the political power and with that he started a ruthless campaign of removing all opposition to the Communist rule. During this period called the Great Purge Stalin systemically executed anyone who stood in his path. Millions of people were arrested and either harassed or killed. The economic status of the Soviet Union was yet again changed and the entire system became controlled by the government. All private ownership ended. A mass program of industrialization was commenced, and the strength of the Soviet Military was substantially increased. The citizens during this period endured great hardship. Agricultural production output diminished resulting in food shortages, these shortages were enha! nce by the mass exportation of food, this was done to pay for industrial imports. Stalin also put the production of what he called production goods such as manufacturing machinery over basic consumer goods such as clothes and other staples. During this period the Second World War broke out and drained most of what was left of the already impoverished state. Yet after the war national unity was strengthened as well is the Soviet military machine. The Soviet Union became a super power, the U.S. being the only country more powerful than it. After the death of Stalin in 1953 Nikita Khrushchev became First Secretary of the Communist party. Stalin's death marked

The Evolution of Greek Tragedy

The Evolution of Greek Tragedy Today, a trip to the theater is still a special event, but in Ancient  Athens, it wasnt just a time for cultural enrichment or entertainment. It was a religious, competitive, and civic festival event, part of the annual City (or Greater) Dionysia: We might want to imagine the atmosphere of the ancient drama festivals as a combination of Mardi Gras, the gathering of the faithful in St Peters Square on Easter Day, the crowds that throng the Mall on the Fourth of July, and the hype of Oscars night.- Ian C. Storey When Cleisthenes reformed Athens to make it more democratic, it is thought that he included competition between the groups of citizens in the form of dramatic, performing dithyrambic choruses. Be that as it may, Tragedy- as also Comedy- was at first mere improvisation. The one originated with the authors of the  Dithyramb, the other with those of the phallic songs, which are still in use in many of our cities. Tragedy advanced by slow degrees; each new element that showed itself was in turn developed. Having passed through many changes, it found its natural form, and there it stopped.- Aristotle Poetics Taxes,  A Civic Obligation Well in advance of the Elaphebolion (an Athenian month that ran from late March to early April) event, the city magistrate selected 3 patrons of the arts (choregoi) to finance the performances. It was an onerous form of taxation (liturgy) the wealthy were required to perform- but not every year. And the wealthy had a choice: they could supply Athens with a performance or a battleship. This  obligation included: Housing and feeding the chorus and actors.Selecting chorus members (young men about to enter the military).Hiring a chorus director (didaskalos) who trained the 12-15 non-professional dancers (choreuts), for a year, to perform, sing, and dance in the chorus.Providing a place to train.Paying for a dedication to Dionysus if he won. Professionals and Amateur Actors While the chorus was composed of (well-trained) non-professionals, the playwright and actors had, as Didaskalia puts it, leisure with a passion for the theater. Some of the actors became such polished celebrities their participation would give an unfair advantage, so the lead actor, protagonist, was assigned by lot to a playwright who was expected to compose a tetralogy, direct, choreograph, and act in his own plays. A tetralogy consisted of three tragedies and a satyr play- like a dessert at the end of the heavy, serious drama. Partly humorous or farcical, satyr-plays featured the half human, half animal creatures known as satyrs. Visual Aids for the Audience By convention, the actors in tragedy appeared larger than life. Since there were about 17,000 open-air seats in the theater of Dionysus (on the south slope of the Acropolis), going more than halfway around the circular dance floor (orchestra), this exaggeration must have made the actors more recognizable. They wore long, colorful robes, high headdresses, cothurnoi (shoes), and masks with largemouth holes to facilitate ease of speech. Men played all the parts. One actor might play more than one role, since there were only 3 actors, even by Euripides (c. 484-407/406) day. A century earlier, in the 6th century, when the first dramatic competition was held, there was only one  actor whose role was to interact with the chorus. The semi-legendary playwright of the first play with an actor was Thespis (from whose name comes the word thespian). Stage Effects In addition to the actors accouterments, there were elaborate devices for special effects. For instance, cranes could whisk gods or people on and off stage. These cranes were called mechane or machina in Latin; hence, our term deus ex machina. The skene (from which, scene) a building or tent at the back of the stage that was used from the time of Aeschylus (c. 525-456), could be painted to provide scenery. The skene was at the edge of the circular orchestra (dance floor of the chorus). The skene also provided a flat roof for action, a backstage for the actors preparation, and a door. The ekkyklema was a contraption for rolling scenes or people onto the stage. Dionysia and the Theater At the City Dionysia, the tragedians each presented a tetralogy- four plays, consisting of three tragedies and a satyr play. The theater was in the temenos (sacred precinct) of Dionysus Eleuthereus. The priest was seated in the center of the first row of the theatron. It may be that there were originally 10 wedges (kekrides) of seats to correspond with the 10 tribes of Attica, but the number was 13 by the 4th century B.C. Tragedy Terms Tragic Irony  happens when the audience knows what is going to happen but the actor is still ignorant. Hamartia:  The downfall of the tragic hero is caused by hamartia. This isnt a willful act in violation of the laws of the gods, but a mistake or excess.Hubris:  Excessive pride can lead to the downfall of the tragic hero.Peripeteia:  A  sudden reversal of fortune.Catharsis:  Ritual cleansing and emotional cleansing by the end of the tragedy. Sources Roger Dunkles Introduction to Tragedy The Entrances and Exits of Actors and Chorus in Greek Plays, by Margarete Bieber.  American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 58, No. 4. (Oct. , 1954), pp. 277-284.