Catching up, things have been a bit rough lately, so I'm hoping to read several chapters at once here.

Chapter 7 thoughts: Really tragic to see a "victory" of Socialism declared in 1936. It is interesting to see how obvious the Nazi plans for invasion were back then, hard to push the "They were Soviet allies" myth when any account from the time made it obvious what they were planning.

Chapter 8 thoughts: This chapter could practically be written about China in the modern day, their constant attempts to delay war with the US and maintain an uneasy peace, because that is still far better than war. Does make me wonder if it means US war on China really is inevitable. Also can't believe I missed a little dig at Trotsky there when I missed this chapter. And had Mao said it before this book was written, this chapter would absolutely use the quote "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."

Chapter 9 thoughts:

"One middle-aged man was inactive socially and this was a great shame to the group, which tried to locate some tasks to interest him. They finally elected him president of the Red Aid Branch; within a month he signed up a big membership and had an active circle going."

I just can't even imagine what it must have been like to work like a Soviet man, I'm unable to do almost any sort of work under capital, the stress (both physical and mental) would be enough to ensure I don't live long enough to be middle-aged myself. I struggle to get by, barely able to work at all in my chosen field because even under "ideal" circumstances under capital, I'm still so heavily alienated from my labour. I was hoping the second half of the book wouldn't be as depressing as the first half, but it probably will continue to make me wish for a different, better world. Just...everything about a workplace also being a community, and attached to the larger community of the whole country is just so unimaginable to me, so different from anything I've ever experienced, I'm shut off from the world, isolated, because trying to work under capital is a nightmare, and the only way I've managed to do it is to eke out an existence on the fringe. Sorry, this is supposed to be an analysis of the text, but it's just making me very introspective, probably because I'm reading so many chapters in a row tonight to catch up.

Chapter 10 thoughts: Wow. Interesting seeing the discussion of the "Holodomor" long before that myth cropped up. I've said it nearly every chapter but I do find it really fascinating how this book dispels so many anti-Soviet myths before the western powers had even conceived of them. The sheer contempt that the capitalists have for us is truly disgusting.

They have lost the dull, unresponsive stare of the peasant; they are more vivid, alert. “Formerly even the peasant with the best income lived like a pig,” said a Soviet farmer to me. “His only use for his surplus was to get drunk. Today he has a reading-room, a hospital, a school, a laboratory; he reads the newspapers and knows about the world.

I think this gets at the heart of why this book makes me so sad, this sheer difference in people's lives, the brightness and humanity that exists within all of us that capitalism just seeks to snuff out. I know plenty of people more well off than I, but even with the best income they still like like a pig themselves, just existing, not thriving, I know that "dull, unresponsive stare" well, I see it in the faces of almost everyone I meet. People just so beaten down by life that they can only think of ways to make their life pass by quicker.

And finally this chapter!

for new specific increases in women’s “rights.” They count their victories by the number of women who one by one attain high office (etc)

And already off to a great start, how little has changed in the almost century since this book was written. And this is certainly a fascinating chapter. If I had to guess, I'd say that "women's rights in the Soviet Union" is probably the biggest area that is deliberately kept hidden away from us peons working under capital today. And it's easy to see why, seeing that they were arguably much more progressive than we are today would probably challenge most people's preconceived notions about the Soviets the most, as most of us are taught to view the former USSR in a vague "like our system, but worse in every way." So showing that they were significantly better not just in terms that your modern capitalist worker finds too abstract like "worker's rights" but something a lot of people care about (or claim to), like women's rights would be extremely confronting. I've been on the fence about recommending this book to liberal friends, but after reading this chapter I certainly will be encouraging them to read it, they probably won't, but it's worth trying at least.

And I'm finally caught up with everyone else!