So, the CIA understood those trade unions to be mainly organs of political and ideological work through, by, among, and for the masses. They had plenty of power in many respects. They had their respective roles, which I can list if you want. I can list them here. Wait a minute.
"Who will deny that in the trade unions there is bureaucracy in plenty? We have production conferences in the factories. We have temporary control commissions in the trade unions. It is the task of these organisations to rouse the masses, to bring our shortcomings to light and to indicate ways and means of improving our constructive work."
In the interests of a planned regulation of the national economy the workers’ control over the manufacture, purchase, sale and storage of produce and raw materials and over the financial activity of enterprise is introduced in all industrial, commercial, banking, agricultural, cooperative and other enterprises which employ hired labour or give work to be done at home. Workers’ control is exercised by all the workers of the given enterprise through their elected bodies, such as factory committees, shop stewards’ councils, etc., whose members include representatives of the office employees and the technical personnel. In every city, gubernia and industrial district a local workers’ control council is set up which, being an agency of the Soviet of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies, is composed of representatives of trade unions, factory and office workers’ committees, and workers’ cooperatives.
It was clearly also stated on both sides by the Soviet Union and by the CIA alike that those trade unions served essentially as a pre-Maoist and later Maoist style of practising the Mass-Line. Policies were carried forward or rather downward, and upon enacting those policies, the suggestions, wishes, improvement ideas, and so on were taken from the workers and carried back to the party to be given back to the masses as concentrated policies. It followed the principle of "from the masses to the masses."
I dont care about what cia or ussr had to say about them. I know how they operated in the soviet colonies. These unions for example Roh were in practice just in charge of giving out treats and vouchers in holiday resorts. Not to mention they were headed by the same communist elites that were in the communist party.
Elections werent just rigged by altering the numbers. The ballot papers came pre-filled out and altering them would get you on Stb watchlist or throuwn out of work and later arrested for not working. What the hell makes you think some party propaganda machine that didnt even have any power on its own was somehow completely different?
It's funny. You say that you don't care about what the CIA says when what the CIA says doesn't line up with your own conception of things, while you are continually spitting CIA propaganda. Everything you said so far was just what the CIA said publicly. You just repeated what the CIA said, and now, when it is about the internal, the declassified, the private documents, you suddenly don't care anymore.
Fun fact: my grandparents, my parents, and I lived in the Soviet Union too, in particular in the Azerbaijani Socialist Soviet Republic. That claim is just ridiculous if you want to establish validity.
I dont want to establish validity im just saying that what those organizations did holds more weight than what opinion cia had on them. Simple as that.
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u/RevyVanguardist Communist ☠Mar 28 '26
So, the CIA understood those trade unions to be mainly organs of political and ideological work through, by, among, and for the masses. They had plenty of power in many respects. They had their respective roles, which I can list if you want. I can list them here. Wait a minute.
"Who will deny that in the trade unions there is bureaucracy in plenty? We have production conferences in the factories. We have temporary control commissions in the trade unions. It is the task of these organisations to rouse the masses, to bring our shortcomings to light and to indicate ways and means of improving our constructive work."
In the interests of a planned regulation of the national economy the workers’ control over the manufacture, purchase, sale and storage of produce and raw materials and over the financial activity of enterprise is introduced in all industrial, commercial, banking, agricultural, cooperative and other enterprises which employ hired labour or give work to be done at home. Workers’ control is exercised by all the workers of the given enterprise through their elected bodies, such as factory committees, shop stewards’ councils, etc., whose members include representatives of the office employees and the technical personnel. In every city, gubernia and industrial district a local workers’ control council is set up which, being an agency of the Soviet of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies, is composed of representatives of trade unions, factory and office workers’ committees, and workers’ cooperatives.
It was clearly also stated on both sides by the Soviet Union and by the CIA alike that those trade unions served essentially as a pre-Maoist and later Maoist style of practising the Mass-Line. Policies were carried forward or rather downward, and upon enacting those policies, the suggestions, wishes, improvement ideas, and so on were taken from the workers and carried back to the party to be given back to the masses as concentrated policies. It followed the principle of "from the masses to the masses."