| |
Yanks for
Stalin
Interview Transcript
Abel
Aganbegyan (cont)
Q.
Do we need to thank foreigners, especially Americans, for their
role in industrialization?
A.
They played a very important role. Any developed country
plays an enormous role, when its expertise and technology is applied
in a less-developed country, independent even of whether the developed
country likes it or not. And we, back then, used Stalin's
words to discuss the efficiency of Americans. We did not
hide it, even though we criticized all the while, perhaps a stronger
word than criticized, American imperialism. But we were
forced to acknowledge American efficiency. We learned much
from advanced Western expertise, German, British and American.
Correspondingly, these countries had a very strong influence.
In addition, we invited their specialists to come here, and many
of our people went to the West to study and brought back knowledge
to be applied here.
Q.
We were at GAZ and were told how much Americans had helped there.
A.
I don't see any reason to hide it or cover it up. The influence
is there, without a doubt, but experience is one thing; it's another
to put it to practical use. Unfortunately, it is much more
complicated to put experience to practical use than it is to recognize
experience. Knowing and creating are two different processes.
But we created all these things, not with the hands of the Americans,
and not with their money, but with our own hands, and in spite
of the Americans, one could say. If we look at the big picture,
and assess it properly, then the encirclement of capitalist countries
interfered with our progress. There was trade discrimination
employed against Russia. Just like now, by the way.
We lose approximately $5 billion per year due to discrimination,
because we are not a member of the World Trade Organization.
Then it was even more difficult for us to put our goods on Western
markets. We were isolated. They refused to export
strategic goods to us or goods that they believed could have enabled
our development. They did not want our country to develop.
The official policy of Western countries was to hinder our development
in the postwar period.
Q.
But individual businessmen helped us?
A.
Yes. It wasn't the official policy of Western countries
to assist us. It is thought that Hammer helped us, but he
didn't help us. He was doing business. He was doing
business, and business here was more profitable that it would
have been in America at that time. He got rich in Russia.
Of course, he did some good for Russia, but he did better for
himself.
Q.
Did we add to our problems by throwing our ideology in the face
of Western nations?
A.
Of course. That frightened people away. In addition,
our policies were highly contradictory. On the one hand,
our policy was the ideological rejection and condemnation of capitalist
imperialism, as well as the financial support of overseas branches
of the Communist Party. Remember our malevolent glee at
the slightest misfortune visited upon the West, how we reveled
in the American crisis of 1929-1933. Remember the slogans:
"We complete a Five-Year Plan in four years, while they move
backward." Remember Stalin's first progress report.
Of course, this didn't improve our relations with the West.
That is why it is such an era of contradictions. Our policies
were not rational and balanced.
 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8 
|
