Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Interview - Essay Example The US had to react to this visit because Nixon’s stance against Communism was not a secret, while China was, not only a Communist country, but practiced an extreme form of communism no different from Stalinism. Moreover, Americans were perplexed at President Nixon’s decision, as his anti-Communist rhetoric had gotten him elected in 1952 as Vice President (Ragone & Velshi 13). With this background in mind, this interview will seek to uncover the machinations behind the visit and its consequences. A. As president of the United States, Richard Nixon travelled to the Communist People’s Republic of China in 1972. There he met both the Central Committee of the Communist Party’s Chairman Mao Zedong and the premier of the PRC Zhou En-Lai. The two governments agreed on the Chinese Communiquà © during the visit, which was one of the most important agreements between the two countries in improving relations following years of mistrust and hostility (Ragone & Velshi 33). A. Well, you have to realize that the two countries had been estranged diplomatically since the 1940s and the Chinese Communist Revolution. Following Chairman Mao Zedong’s victory for the Communists in 1949 and the establishment of the PRC on the mainland of China, officials and soldiers of the vanquished Republic of China moved to Taiwan. Relationships soured totally when the US chose to recognize the ROC over the PRC as China’s legitimate government, leading to a complete break in diplomatic relations (Ragone & Velshi 34). A. You see, despite the obvious lack of diplomatic channels, there were all indications by the late 60s that the PRC and the US were considering rapprochement. The escalation of the Vietnam War with the Soviet-backed Viet Cong and the US-backed KMT led officials in the US government to improve relations with China. This was important in the new US strategy to decrease

What were the idealistic qualities of communism Research Paper

What were the idealistic qualities of communism - Research Paper Example It was based on the economic principle of ability and need. The principle enunciated by Marx was followed by Russian communist leadership, "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs†. Class domination was abolished as it was not conducive to the welfare of the masses. Production was not for profit and human labor had a new social role. The State was in absolute control of all the economic activities. Worker worked with the missionary zeal and produced commodities not for the profit of his individual master, but he was part of the collective efforts for the welfare of the state. He would work hard to give maximum output. Political power was not an instrument of organized class oppression as under Capitalism and Socialism and classes stood dissolved and there was no possibility of class oppression. Every human being shared equal responsibility, but all this was mere idealism and the grassroots realities for the common man were entirely different and they went through a period of unmentionable miseries. The realities of daily life for people living under Stalin Stalin did not learn something from his own sufferings in childhood and inflicted cruelties on the people and terrorized those who opposed him. He sent his political opponents to prison and labor camps, where grueling hard work awaited them. As a youth leader he had taken part in violent attacks and strikes and he continued with the same working style on getting the supreme position of power in the communist hierarchy in Russia. He initiated the five year plans for development of Russian economy, introduced collective farming, and took away land from the rich farmers to created state-owned farms. This was his first stroke of highhandedness to destroy the farming community and their individuality. He hoped for bumper production of food grains but that did not happen and many people starved. On the political front, he usurped more power and those who opposed his reforms were eit her shot dead or sent to Siberia. He created a dreaded intelligence agency to spy over the activities of people and to collect information from all over the world. Destiny played its part and more suffering awaited the people of Russia. World War II broke out and in 1941 Hitler broke the pact and invaded Russia. The Soviet army defeated the Germans and in the process millions of military personnel and the civilians died. A section of the people benefited during the regime of Stalin. He supported women empowerment, gave them jobs and education. On the economic front, with the improvement in transportation facilities and with the construction of new railway lines, people heaved a sigh of relief. Stalin exhibited sterling qualities of a statesman, when Germans captured Yakov, son from his first wife; they desired to trade him for a German Officer. Stalin did not relent and asserted that he had millions of sons and that Germans must free all or none of them. Communist ideology did not t hrive under Stalin and people suffered much. The original revolutionaries lost much of their fire and inspiration and exploitation of the people began. Turn the pages of history, and we find that the people were always attracted by the lofty ideals of fraternity equality and liberty. When these rights were denied to majority of the citizens, societies went through great convulsions. With the onset of industrial revolution, workers migrated from rural areas to towns and lived in a new set up. Gradually, the worker became a victim of injustice, harassment and exploitation. Protest movements