Kitabı oku: «The Settlement Agreement. Make a repost», sayfa 2

Workers as leaders: Ivan Likhachev, Andrei Stakhanov

Ivan Likhachev

The very first Soviet truck

ZIS-5, the legendary domestic truck

Ivan Likhachev. Birth – 1896, with. Ozers of the Tula region… The end of the village school, work as a mechanic at the Putilov factory… during the First World War – a service by a sailor in the Baltic Fleet. From 1917 to 1921 years. Likhachev is a commander in parts of the Red Army, and even an employee of the Cheka. Further – studying at the Mining Academy and the Leningrad Electromechanical Institute. Getting too many, not always applicable in practice, knowledge will upset the future People’s Commissar. He leaves the university and, at the behest of the Communist Party, heads the Moscow Automobile Plant (1926). The plant was founded in 1916, before the final establishment of the Soviet government, it was able to produce about 1,300 Fiat cars. The first achievement of MAZ in the USSR – the release in November 1924 of ten one-and-a-half truck AMO-F-15. It is interesting that the conveyor “American”, even with the delivery of Soviets from across the ocean, costs ten times cheaper than it, manufactured on the stalks of the domestic analogue.

From a small and poorly equipped enterprise, in fact – large repair shops, the 30-year-old director creates an auto giant very quickly. Ivan visits the factories of Henry Ford in America, buys Buick, brings it to the capital, sorts it out in parts, introduces many technological innovations to the ZIS (since 1931 – the Stalin Plant). In the same year, based on the American Autocar-5S, AMO-3 was created, the first full-sized truck in the USSR. Likhachev personally participates in the Moscow-Leningrad motor rally. In 1934 the volume of output of cars of various modifications reaches 100 000 per year.

In 1939, Likhachyov was appointed a People’s Commissar of the average industry of the USSR. What is going wrong is not so with scrupulous “execution of government decisions” for “part of compliance with the discipline” in production, and Ivan Alekseevich returned to the plant. The main idea of the automaker is “initiative from below at all levels”. The output of cars reaches 150,000 per year. In October, the plant is evacuated to the Urals, where several powerful high-tech enterprises of various profiles are created on its basis.

An important achievement (in the opinion of the author) – in 1951 the ZIL company organizes the production of quality refrigerators for the widest masses of the population of the USSR.

And, of course, a dubious model of cooperation is the creation, on the basis of documentation, and by Soviet workers, of the Automobile Plant No. 1 in China (1953). Later this, given by the USSR just like that, “to strengthen friendship” the company gets the name First Automobile Works (FAW), and to this day remains the leader of the automobile industry of the Celestial Empire.

…The last Soviet truck – ZIL-4331, out of a total volume of 1.6 million, is manufactured by the plant already on the verge of the collapse of the USSR. In 2016, the Moscow Administration decides to abandon production, destroy the remaining buildings, and use the liberated large areas for the construction of elite residential complexes.

…In the years 1953—1956. Likhachev – Minister of Road Transport and Highways of the USSR. He does not retire, and leaves this world in June 1956. The Moscow Automobile Plant (MAZ, the former ZIS, and the “Pietro Ferrero Plant”) receives the name of ID Likhachev (ZIL).

Private life. His wife is Anna, and her only daughter. Hobbies are a passionate football fan.

Andrey Stakhanov

Andrey Stakhanov. Birth – 1905, etc. Lugovaya, Orel region (the neighborhood of the city of Orel) … work as a shepherd, then, at the mine “Central-Irmino” in the Lugansk region as a horse-breeder, and a “classic” miner. The head of the mine, in order to avoid accusations of wrecking, need a loud success. In order to avoid raising the norms of production (therefore, adjusting the ratio “the amount of coal mined – the money earned”), the miners refuse to take part in the action. All except Aleksey Stakhanov, enthusiastically accepted, and even developed the ideas of the party organizer of the mine Konstantin Petrov. On the night of August 1, 1935, Stakhanov “picks up” 102 tons of coal, instead of 7 tons, thereby raising labor productivity 14 times. The basis of the record is the scrupulous preparation of the work of the only “champion”; the preparation of arch fasteners, the stabilization of pressure in the jackhammer (due to the suspension of the rest), the organization of sufficient lighting, etc. In addition, starting from this case, a “progressive” payment system is used. Now all the coal is attributed to the slaughterer himself, and the work of his assistants – skilled stitchers passes through a separate graph. Stakhanov receives 220 rubles, instead of the usual for a miner 25—30. There is no information about the earnings of his two companions.

…Alexei conducts high-ranking officials to the house, with applause and flowers, and then he remains, together with his cousin Evdokia (gypsy), facing a direct threat of physical destruction. At night they burst into the door. Yevdokia hides her husband in the basement, grabs a knife, and promises to deliver accurate punches to the first one who will pass the threshold… The dust of Aleksei’s “buddies” subsides somewhat.

And, fate leads A. Stakhanov away from gloomy dungeons, to pleasant activities, speeches to collectives of workers and schoolchildren, envelops the ring of protection. Alexei’s wife disappears-she dies from underground abortion, goes to the camp (leaving her children to her husband), is rejected by the leadership as an “incorrect” drummer companion, or something else-we do not know for sure.

…At a school concert, Stakhanov gets acquainted with the 14-year-old Galina. Almost a formal girl… not that she responds to the 30-year-old Hero of Labor with reciprocity, but she does not protest. Parents, caring about the welfare of their daughter, ascribe to her 2 years of life, and marry.

In 1936 the young people moved to Moscow. Stakhanov studies in the Industrial Academy… is elected to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR… lives in the famous House on the Embankment, gets a personal car. The success of the worker is personally monitored by Joseph Stalin (he often invites one to dinner, reviews the lecture notes). He, in fact, becomes the “godfather” of the miner. The journalist makes the mistake of calling Andrei Stakhanov Alexei. The leader declares: “This is a good name… the newspaper” Pravda “can not deceive” and, in the opinion of his pet, not at all interested in, decides to write out the “correct” passport.

Vasiliy Stalin becomes a close friend and drinking companion of Stakhanov. Together they go into steep turns, break Stakhanov’s GAZ M-1, smash the restaurant of the Metropol Hotel, catch the fish in its aquarium, and so on… After all, concerned about his son’s condition, I. Stalin sends the failed Coal Industry Commissar in Karaganda (Kazakhstan), where he becomes the chief of the mine.

In 1943, Alexei Grigorievich returned to Moscow, to the former remarkable apartment (Berestenevskaya embankment). He works in the “sinecure” – the head of the sector of socialist competition, the People’s Commissariat, whose head did not, and especially does not grieve.

In 1957, Khrushchev, for certain reasons, wishing to see Stakhanov closer to real production, calls Alexei into the office, and explains the whole situation. This is in fact necessary for foreign writers who form an opinion on the Country of Soviets. The Hero of Labor does not have to go through silly papers on the table. “After all, I myself am a miner…” Nikita Sergeyevich pronounces, but Stakhanov unceremoniously cuts him off. “What kind of (obscene word) miner!?”.

It’s all. Temporary “reference” is replaced by a lifelong one. The Stakhanov family, from Moscow and a five-room apartment with conveniences, refuses to go for the disgraced head. In Donbass town of Torez Aleksey Grigorievich becomes an assistant to the chief engineer of the mine. The trouble is that Stakhanov can actually no longer work. Salary “Lehe Stakanov” (from the word “glass”) is charged in any case. So a person gets out of a toning-up daily regime, gets out of the circle of fruitful communication, falls into depression and binge. In 1970, Stakhanov was remembered at the very top, sent K.T. Petrov to Torez, the same one who once organized the epoch-making record, with the mission of salvation. Konstantin Grigorievich finds his former protege in the most depressing state, under a fence (worse than you can imagine), laundered and delivers to Moscow. Here the miner is awarded the Order of the Hero of Socialist Labor, amicably welcomes labor collectives, etc., etc.

After take-off follows another failure. Stakhanov goes to a psychiatric hospital. After the last arrival of K. Petrov (1977) follows a short-term remission. The miner comes to his senses, recalls his whole life, says, he says, demands the return of the departed Constantine back.

The next day Stakhanov perishes.

Private life: civil marriage with Evdokia – daughter and son. These children quite happily get on with the second, legitimate wife Galina, and two new sisters. The third marriage is concluded in “exile”, almost accidentally, with some Antonina, and soon canceled.

Morality. In a society where all are formally equal, the information hunger is particularly acute. For the sake of its quenching various kinds of labor “records” are organized. Life is the essence of news. The social order that officially allows stratification, or at least some kind of non-equality of people, experiences considerably less difficulty in preparing tasty information dishes.

In the society of equality, tendencies of thoughtless imitation are strong. Experience, more or less useful in coal mining, is transferred to medicine, science, art (we are obliged to give out more distant teeth, discoveries, productions) and, sadly, the service of state security. Since the beginning of 1937, repressive bodies on the ground compete in the number of people killed, put forward “counter plans” to increase Stalin’s quotas, and so on.

Are workers ready or not prepared to responsibly manage the most important enterprises of the state? The answer in the case of Stakhanov is “No, this threatens them with a nervous breakdown.” But, we also know other examples, here, yes, the sailor Ivan Likhachev (two courses of the Mining Academy), in old workshops created a grandiose automotive production. The result: “OK, and it’s good, but you should be prepared for such a transformation, and always look carefully at your feet.”

Alexei Kosygin, Leonid Brezhnev, Dmitry Ustinov

Alexei Kosygin

Alexei Kosygin. Birth – 1904, St. Petersburg… in 1919—1921, service in the labor units of the Red Army, study at the Petrograd Cooperative Technical School, … the work of the planning department of the Siberian Union of consumer cooperation. In 1930, Alexei Nikolayevich returned to Leningrad, entered the Leningrad Textile Institute (simply – “Rag”) and ended it. Since 1936, he works as a foreman… chief of a factory change, and a year later he becomes director himself.

It can not be said that last year’s student possesses exceptional qualities as a manager, and brilliant charisma, but the field of vacancies was thoroughly cleared by the Great Terror of 1937. Most likely, many of those who perished could eclipse Alexei Kosygin – we will never know that… At that time, as in the central regions of the RSFSR, each functionary is a promoter of some repressed (pulling into the abyss and protégé) statesman, our hero resides in a relatively calm Siberia. Moreover, without a reasonable explanation of the reasons, Kosygin impressed Stalin himself. So, after some swinging, in 1939 Alexei Nikolaevich became People’s Commissar of the textile industry of the USSR. During the war years, he occupies various positions of responsibility, evacuates factories to the Urals (more than 1500 major enterprises), works on “Dear Life” to the besieged Leningrad, etc. In 1948, despite the proximity to people designated “enemies of the people “Kosygin manages to survive the” Leningrad case. “He becomes deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and also a candidate member of the Politburo of the CPSU (B.). In the summer of 1953, Alexei heads, the Ministry of Food Products Industry, assembled from several ministries, gives this project a move, and returns to its previous post. Already under Brezhnev, in 1964 A. Kosygin became head of the government (yes-yes) of the USSR.

The famous “golden five-year plan” of Kosygin starts. On the one hand, the stock of enthusiasm and spiritual strength of the people has not completely dried up yet. On the other hand, government structures were abandoned by the original revolutionaries; trying at least naively, rudely and awkwardly, but still create a new social order. The situation is reminiscent of how doctors support life in the patient: they change the droppers, monitor the ventilation of the lungs, sometimes even carry them through hospital corridors. Day by day, the same food. So it can last a long time… but, it’s not that. Correctly developing organism struggles with illnesses independently… and grows. For life, a person needs a dream, waiting for tomorrow… at least believing that something very good will happen in his time. The authorities cease to produce even such promises. The self-activity of the people itself is mechanically extinguished in the localities.

Nevertheless, some rational approach to the organization of the economy is bearing fruit. Multiplication of national income reaches 33% per year. Enterprises expand their independence. Part of the profit goes not directly to the state budget, but remains for the development of the enterprise, premiums, and attached schools-kindergartens (so-called “social”). The director can not send the received increase to the pocket only to himself, the adored accountant, the secretary, but to the general salary fund, to arrange the life of workers, a new stadium, or a dining room – please.

The oil and gas producing complex receives a powerful development. In fact, all the infrastructure now used by the oligarchs – “Friends of the Self” – oil rigs, pipelines, roads, cities and towns in Siberia, was created during the times of Alexei Kosygin. However, for many reasons that have not been fully understood, the head of the government can not arrange the export of processed products.

The strength of Alexei Nikolaevich himself is running low. In 1968, he lost an important spiritual support – the wife of Claudia Andreevna. After 6 years, a stroke occurs.

In 1979 A. Kosygin, the only member of the Politburo, simply categorically objected to the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. But, the former principle of a reasonable Brezhnev collegiality now no longer works. The Chairman has time to make an important contribution to the organization of the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980, before submitting an application for care in connection with the deterioration of health. A week later, the former head of the Government of the USSR leaves the state dacha, moves to a modest apartment, taking with him only personal belongings and books. Alexei anticipates that now everything will go wrong, the Eleventh Five-Year Plan 1981—1985. will be completely, not at all “golden” – but it can not do anything any more…

Substitutions for A. Kosygin – responsible, business, modest in the way of life… not a drinking statesman, no.

Private life – the only wife, Claudia Andreevna, daughter. Hobby – skiing, canoeing, walking along mountain trails.

Leonid Brezhnev

Leonid Brezhnev. Birth – 1906, with. Kamenskoye (Dneprodzerzhinsk), Ekaterinoslav province (now Dneprovsk region, Ukraine), … working at a butter mill, studying at the Kursk land-reclamation technical school. Until 1929 – L. Brezhnev – surveyor and land surveyor. Further, fate leads him into the power offices, where Leonid Ilich practices the skills of not only land in the posts of deputy chairman of the district executive committee and deputy head of the Ural Land Administration. L. Brezhnev raises the qualification in the universities of Moscow and Dneprodzerzhinsk, serves in the army as an officer-tanker, becomes secretary of the Dnepropetrovsk Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine. During the Great Patriotic War, the chief of the Political Department of the 18th Army, Colonel Brezhnev, in particular, organized the resistance of Soviet troops on the “Little Earth” bridgehead near Novorossiysk. Recall, the bridgehead is formed on February 4, 1943 as a result of the partially unsuccessful operation of the Red Army to liberate the city of Novorossiysk. The main, sea and air assault forces, due to inadequate fire support, are being retreated, the auxiliary one, using captured weapons, ammunition, etc., seizes the territories later named “Lesser Earth”. Soldiers are building a network of trenches, dugouts, defending a bridgehead for 225 days. Brigade Commissar LI Brezhnev is on the front lines, conducts classes, which now would be called “training for team building” and in general, it shows itself not bad. On June 24, 1945, Major-General Leonid Ilyich took part in the Victory Parade on Red Square.

…According to some sources, Leonid Brezhnev is one of ten armed generals who arrived in the Kremlin for the arrest of L. P. Beria.

From the submission of Khrushchev, LB, who became the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, manages the development of virgin lands, as well as the construction of the Baikonur cosmodrome.

Since May 1960, L. Brezhnev – Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. It sounds very, very solid, but still, the main secretary in this System is the First Secretary of the Central Committee. In 1964 Khrushchev dismisses Brezhnev from a high post, replacing him (his friend) Anastas Mikoyan. Brezhnev, already with his longtime friend, Nikolai Podgorny, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, secretary (one of several) of the CPSU Central Committee, and other interested persons, is advancing. At the extraordinary meeting of the Presidium convened, Leonid Brezhnev satisfied his former patron with a thorough separation. Nikita Sergeyevich understands that he is stumped, reports Mikoyan (“I will not fight”) and, at the second meeting, with the words “Finally, the party grew and can control any person” (the option “do without blood”), Games for retirement.

So, in 1965 the Golden Five-Year Plan of Kosygin starts. The real welfare of citizens during this time increases by more than 2.2 times. It can be said that now the collective leadership is being implemented: five or six members of the Central Committee are significant instead of a “leader.” But, by and large, there is still no feedback system with government bodies. You can change anything on the ground only if, for example, your letter (one of many thousands) is published in a central newspaper.

…It should be repeated. A huge country ruled 5—6, maybe 10 people – “Friends” of the General Secretary. This, of course, is much better than the single “leader” granted to the whims of his split psyche, but there is simply no one to correct these people, in case of their serious mistake, or, perhaps, even a direct betrayal of the interests of their country. Civil institutions, communities, most importantly, independent, speaking people, there is not (or the “security service” immediately takes them for the mentally ill). A similar system develops in science, art, and all branches of industry. Artistic councils do not allow creative groups to develop. KGB chief Yuri Andropov, for the sake of the “economic scouts” he loves, drives the groups of initiative masters into the awkward giant VNIITSEVT, makes mindlessly copy IBM 360; completely stopping all this development of domestic computers. In 1969, Americans make a global breakthrough: they create a computer network ARPANET, a connection between the scientific institutions of the United States, England… the entire developed Western world, the prototype of the modern Internet. In the USSR this epoch-making movement remains practically unnoticed.

And all that sort of thing.

Under Khrushchev, the five-million-strong Soviet Army and Navy are largely reduced. This is, of course, a good thing. However, officers are subject to unacceptable humiliations. Yes, they do not know how to do anything more often, often the colonial majors have to occupy very insignificant posts, up to the collective farm shepherd; but, after all, we understand that this is not the way to deal with people.

Under Leonid Brezhnev and his Friends, the Armed Forces of the USSR (not restrained, for example, awakened by the high consciousness of the people), and the military-industrial complex, take an excellent revenge. Armored vehicles are produced. Many, many tanks and armored personnel carriers. All of them are stored in vast fields, open-air, throughout the USSR, and there, without due maintenance and attention, gradually die. NATO countries focus on helicopters, air defense assets, guided missiles and other high-tech products; high mobility and efficiency. As practice showed, this decision is quite appropriate. So, in Afghanistan, the Soviet tanks T-64, T-72, (with a slight elevation of the gun, very vulnerable from above, gluttonous and overweight) did not make a special impression on the Mujahideen; while helicopters Mi-24 – more than.

Defense spending on the Internet, specific numbers, and not lengthy reasoning on a given topic, is rather difficult to find. The ratio of military spending in the general budget of opponents is somewhat trusting: the USSR – 18%, the USA – 6%.

The number of the Soviet Army is increasing, from 2 million in 1970 to 5.5 million in 1985. And, as we are now friends, a huge but not motivated military armada does not at all guarantee the security and integrity of the state. On the contrary, it only contributes to its disintegration in every possible way.

…Since 1964 the organization “Council for Mutual Economic Assistance” (CMEA) is coming to full capacity, uniting the most developed socialist countries of the world. The beginning of it, recall, believes the decision of Stalin (1949), as well as the actual reception for the maintenance of future satellites in 1945—1947. For example, only Romania (an agrarian country), a recent ally of Hitler’s Germany, who lost 0.5 million of its soldiers in the war (and contributed to the death of probably a comparable number of Soviet soldiers), gratuitously received 480,000 tons of wheat and corn. During the same period, at least 800,000 people died of starvation in the Soviet Union, mostly collective farmers and (not having any allowances) disabled veterans of the war.

The continuation of the CMEA, in general, corresponds to its beginning. The currency of the organization is the so-called transfer (non-cash) ruble. Money that can not be cashed, presented in the form of a ringing coin or a crispy note – are dead. Moreover, despite the national name; “The ruble”, the USSR in principle does not have the ability to print these banknotes so much as to pay off all debts, and buy in the CMEA member countries as much as they put up for sale. In this, the monetary policy of the Soviet Union is radically different from that in the United States. The American Fed produces exactly that, live money – gray-green dollars, which, despite their theoretical lack of gold, you can touch, hide in your pocket, pay for a tank of gasoline, or, say, big poppy. The countries – the satellites of the USA, and not only, greedily buy up these material banknotes, enter into the internal circulation, pay off among themselves, and with the whole world. Not quite honest, but more than effective. Rothschilds, Rockefellers, senators and presidents … the whole American nation understands that buddies who are constantly sitting on their neck, feeling themselves in debt, will betray you at any convenient moment.

…In 1965, the USSR gave Poland licenses, a full cycle of production of the most popular aircraft AN-2 and Mi-2 helicopters. Of course, this is just one of a great many examples of not mutually beneficial cooperation. Most of the industrial production, transport, power capacity in the Eastern Bloc (Warsaw Pact, CMEA) was established by the Soviet Union. The essential difference between the organization of the Warsaw Pact (from 1955) and NATO, incidentally, is that a significant share of common arms is produced by Western European countries. This is their contribution to the North Atlantic Alliance… which can be replaced by resources, or simply (live) money. In the Eastern bloc, weapons for almost 8 million soldiers supply the industrial capacities of the Soviet Union. Or, the USSR has to purchase these weapons – paying, for example, for the Mi-2 mentioned above, with transferable (provided by real goods and resources) rubles to the socialist Poland. The assessment of general assistance to Cuba, the DPRK, China, Iraq, India, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Algeria, Ethiopia, Somalia, Albania, Nicaragua and other non-European socialist (or simply “friendly”) countries is difficult, but on the basis of some data the number of “400 billion not devalued dollars” seems plausible. In order, at least approximately, to convert this amount into its modern equivalent, it is necessary to multiply 0.4 trillion by 4. And still, it would be somehow tolerable if from this donation there appeared at least some economic, even if only moral return. “Who feeds the girl at the restaurant, he dances with her” – this widely known, psychologically quite justified situation in this case does not work. The Soviet Union feeds its “girls” year after year, waiting for love, but they show some enthusiasm only with the next supply of weapons and food. At the same time, sometimes, the followers behave with respect to the “teacher” very aggressively, and in a boorish way. So, Albania simply selects four submarines from the USSR at the base in Vlora, Cuba physically prevents the dismantling of rocket launchers on its territory, etc. Two truly democratic countries never fight each other, autocratic or totalitarian – quite self. Everything depends on a whim that lacks a real connection with the people of the leaders: the degree of indigestion of their stomach, migraine, toothache, nighttime “prophetic” sleep, nervous illness, or middle-aged crisis. Undoubtedly, the Soviet people discourage such things as the war between the socialist countries: Ethiopia and Somalia, China and Vietnam, … the suppression by Soviet troops of speeches in Czechoslovakia, and, of course, almost resulted in the Third World Conflict of the USSR and the Maoist PRC.

The assistance of the Union to African countries leads, in the end (in addition to other factors) to the collapse of the apartheid regime in South Africa, the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of European colonists from the developed lands; The immersion of once prosperous states in the abyss of chaos.

…So, the countries of the socialist camp only say sometimes about sympathy for the Soviet Union – but more substantial evidence of this love is not provided. There are no Soviet, chic and very inexpensive resorts in the victorious Vietnam, Laos, Egypt, Syria… ocean tours to Cuba. These countries do not accept good Soviet rubles for payment… In the end, the understanding that mercantile “girls” are simply “dynamiting” their patron, reaches the consciousness of the entire Soviet people (even, it seems, its top leaders).

The approach to the US business is completely different. If a certain country really wants to learn something, it must honor its teacher, pay it well, follow all instructions, and be ready (if something goes wrong at all) to take a refreshing dose of rods.

Example: Soviet military attaches arrive in Libya to create a full-fledged army there, and at the same time enlighten the leadership of the “Jamahiriya” about building the right socialism. The weapons purchased by the Arab Republic from the USSR on credit (and, therefore, free of charge, that is, for nothing) are so numerous that 300 aircraft of various types, dozens of helicopters, 4,000 tanks, antiaircraft complexes, etc., stand in the desert, just covered with pieces of tarpaulin.

In this, absolutely non-democratic country, there are no legal norms or norms supported by the people’s charters and regulations. Everything depends, solely, on the leader of Moammar Gaddafi, his closest relatives, friends and, perhaps, the communicative skills of those who wish to somehow interact with them.

Soviet military advisers isolate, prohibit any movement beyond 15 km. from the base, exclude communication with the highest officials of the state, if they suddenly themselves do not condescend to it. Higher officers huddle almost in the Bedouin tents, and, until then, they are eating what they have. The small print on the Libyan passports issued to military and civilian specialists is “Hired force – one of the varieties of slaves.” … In 1965, the USSR gave Poland licenses, a full cycle of production of the most popular aircraft AN-2 and Mi-2 helicopters. Of course, this is just one of a great many examples of not mutually beneficial cooperation. Most of the industrial production, transport, power capacity in the Eastern Bloc (Warsaw Pact, CMEA) was established by the Soviet Union. The essential difference between the organization of the Warsaw Pact (from 1955) and NATO, incidentally, is that a significant share of common arms is produced by Western European countries. This is their contribution to the North Atlantic Alliance… which can be replaced by resources, or simply (live) money. In the Eastern bloc, weapons for almost 8 million soldiers supply the industrial capacities of the Soviet Union. Or, the USSR has to purchase these weapons – paying, for example, for the Mi-2 mentioned above, with transferable (provided by real goods and resources) rubles to the socialist Poland. The assessment of general assistance to Cuba, the DPRK, China, Iraq, India, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Algeria, Ethiopia, Somalia, Albania, Nicaragua and other non-European socialist (or simply “friendly”) countries is difficult, but on the basis of some data the number of “400 billion not devalued dollars” seems plausible. In order, at least approximately, to convert this amount into its modern equivalent, it is necessary to multiply 0.4 trillion by 4. And still, it would be somehow tolerable if from this donation there appeared at least some economic, even if only moral return. “Who feeds the girl at the restaurant, he dances with her” – this widely known, psychologically quite justified situation in this case does not work. The Soviet Union feeds its “girls” year after year, waiting for love, but they show some enthusiasm only with the next supply of weapons and food. At the same time, sometimes, the followers behave with respect to the “teacher” very aggressively, and in a boorish way. So, Albania simply selects four submarines from the USSR at the base in Vlora, Cuba physically prevents the dismantling of rocket launchers on its territory, etc. Two truly democratic countries never fight each other, autocratic or totalitarian – quite self. Everything depends on a whim that lacks a real connection with the people of the leaders: the degree of indigestion of their stomach, migraine, toothache, nighttime “prophetic” sleep, nervous illness, or middle-aged crisis. Undoubtedly, the Soviet people discourage such things as the war between the socialist countries: Ethiopia and Somalia, China and Vietnam, … the suppression by Soviet troops of speeches in Czechoslovakia, and, of course, almost resulted in the Third World Conflict of the USSR and the Maoist PRC.