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Purges Quotes

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Purges Quotes

“In addition, of course, they would be taken to a bath and in the bath vestibule they would be ordered to leave their leather coats, their Romanov sheepskin coats, their woolen sweaters, their suits of fine wool, their felt cloaks, their leather boots, their felt boots (for, after all, these were no illiterate peasants this time, but the Party elite—editors of newspapers, directors of trusts and factories, responsible officials in the provincial Party committees, professors of political economy, and, by the beginning of the thirties, all of them understood what good merchandise was). "And who is going to guard them?" the newcomers asked skeptically. "Oh, come on now, who needs your things?" The bath personnel acted offended. "Go on in and don't worry." And they did go in. And the exit was through a different door, and after passing through it, they received back cotton breeches, field shirts, camp quilted jackets without pockets, and pigskin shoes. (Oh, this was no small thing! This was farewell to your former life—to your titles, your positions, and your arrogance!) "Where are our things?" they cried. "Your things you left at home!" some chief or other bellowed at them. "In camp nothing belongs to you. Here in camp, we have communism! Forward march, leader!" And if it was "communism," then what was there for them to object to? That is what they had dedicated their lives to.”

1930sStalinismIntelligentsia1973PurgesThe Slave Caravans
Book:The Gulag Archipelago
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“certain teachers, instead: of explaining in a simple and clear manner the minimum of fundamental questions that a member or candidate of the Party should understand, begin their explanation of the nature of the capitalist system with a ‘profound’ analysis of commodity fetishism. Apparently, these worthy teachers thought that they were ‘no worse than Marx’. If Marx commenced his Capital with commodity fetishism, why should not they start their lessons with commodity fetishism? [Laughter.] Of course, one should know what commodity fetishism is; this, too, is important and very good; but it is no use starting with that. At all events, it is to be hoped that our purging commissions will not, in testing the knowledge of the Party members, start with commodity fetishism. [Laughter.]”

SocialismCommunismUssrPurges
Book:Purging the Party: Speech Delivered at a Meeting of the Active Party Members, Moscow, May 22, 1933
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