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A new book on cannibalism in the 1921 Russian famine

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Re: A new book on cannibalism in the 1921 Russian famine

#31

Post by FillardMillmore »

philwelch wrote: post #21
stanski wrote: post #17

I think the main point of the story should be the famine rather than the supposed cases of cannibalism. I don't think it's that unheard of for people to resort to eating human flesh (usually already dead) when starving. And we're talking about millions of people starving to death. I'd be shocked if there were no cases of cannibalism. Of course it does make for a pretty sensational title and probably better book sales…

It's hard to get an emotional reaction out of bare numbers and facts. If you tell people "x million people starved to death in a famine", we all intellectually agree that it's horrible, but it doesn't seem shocking. If you tell people, "no seriously, here are some stories about people cannibalizing each other because they were starving from a famine", it gives you an emotional gut punch because you get a stronger gra…

I believe the following quote (which is, supposedly, attributed to Stalin) exemplifies what you're saying: "The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of a million is a statistic".

Re: A new book on cannibalism in the 1921 Russian famine

#33

Post by m0zg »

ceejayoz wrote: post #28
m0zg wrote: post #22

[flagged]

> this was a mere 4 years after the socialist revolution And WWI, and a civil war, and a drought. Poland had its own famine the year before, even without commies.

Sure, but do you seriously think a socialist revolution can happen without a civil war? How do you get rid of those who don't want it? This wasn't the only famine BTW. My great-grandma witnessed cannibalism in the south of Russia (the "bread basket" region) in early 30s. This is the same famine as Holodomor, many people don't know but it affected some regions in Russia too. I heard her first-hand account of it before she died. No civil war, no drought, just communist authoritarian rule. Basically all food supplies were diverted to the cities. NKVD would literally shoot starving people for stealing a handful of grain: worse than Waffen SS ~10 years after that.

Re: A new book on cannibalism in the 1921 Russian famine

#34

Post by lacampbell »

goatinaboat wrote: post #27
lacampbell wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's interesting though how very well meaning utopian policies The largest tragedy of the 21st century is that people still think these policies and these people were 'well-meaning' or 'it just went a bit wrong'. It seems that only when we defeat murderous totalitarians militarily that we understand them for what they are.

people still think these policies and these people were 'well-meaning' or 'it just went a bit wrong' They are taught to think that by people who want to have another go. Of course those people won’t be joining you in the fields, they see themselves as card-carrying Party members. Think I’m kidding? https://mobile.twitter.com/bbcthisweek/status/67003748693718... We have a General Election coming up in the UK and milli…

[flagged]

Re: A new book on cannibalism in the 1921 Russian famine

#35

Post by sharpneli »

vz123 wrote: post #32

1921 was not Soviet Union. Soviet Union was established in 1922.

While that is techically correct, the best kind of correct, it is bit misleading not to mention that it was Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic that existed for some years during the Russian civil war and formed the Soviet Union in 1922.

For all intents and purposes it is the same political entity.

Re: A new book on cannibalism in the 1921 Russian famine

#36

Post by gatherhunterer »

vz123 wrote: post #32

1921 was not Soviet Union. Soviet Union was established in 1922.

A soviet is a local official (elected, I think) in Communism. It is not necessarily tied to the USSR. The soviet system was in place at this time, as is mentioned throughout the article.

Re: A new book on cannibalism in the 1921 Russian famine

#38

Post by varjag »

gatherhunterer wrote: post #36
vz123 wrote: post #32

1921 was not Soviet Union. Soviet Union was established in 1922.

A soviet is a local official (elected, I think) in Communism. It is not necessarily tied to the USSR. The soviet system was in place at this time, as is mentioned throughout the article.

Soviet is a council, as in a governing committee.
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