Something that I found interesting about the first reading is the whole summary of the awful characteristics the Soviet Union had. They were just declining in overall well-being. It also seemed that education was decreasing, although the reading did suggest that there could have been more on the job trainings going on.
The part that stood out to me was the quote ” the image of the heroic worker was undergoing a change. Working to exhaustion and storming in general came to be associated not with communist zealot with backwardness. Working in a rhythmic manner, studying but also engaging in other pursuits were the characteristics that higher authorities claimed to admire most”. There is a lot to unpack in this quote. From an economic perspective, this was better off for productivity and it allowed for some expansion, but at the same time this cultural agenda being pushed by optimism does not fix the awful conditions those people still resided in.
To me this kind of seems like a seesaw. They are so rooted in this classist, labor heavy lifestyle, but then the government does listen to them as they are anxious to catch up to pass Western norms.
How do you guys perceive this movement? Does it actually get them somewhere that is sustainable in the long-run?
