Nov, 11, 1979
“USSR: Three generations after the revolution”
Folha da Tarde

The article starts with two quotes from Soviet officials, who had recently criticized the US and other Western nations for their supposed refusal to accept Brejnev’s proposals to stop the nuclear arms race.

In order to demonstrate what he believes to be insincerity on the part of those Soviet officials, Ben Abraham gives several historical examples showing how Soviet leaders did not keep their word. The first example refers to the dissolution of the democratically elected Constitutional Assembly in Russia, which was ordered by Lenin in 1918. The second example is also related to Lenin, who signed a peace agreement with Germany in march, 1918, despite the previously signed treaty with England and France, which forbade any isolated treaty with any other nation. Third example: Lenin ordered the confiscation of all grain produced in Russia and determined they could be given only by those who had received the ration cards distributed by his officials, who privileged their political class and left the destitute virtually without a “license to live”.

The article closes with a brief description of the power struggle among Russian leaders who, according to the author, do not have any scruples in their fight against opponents within their own party.

April, 16th, 1981
“USSR: inverted pyramid”
Folha da Tarde

This article describes the author’s beliefs about the privation of freedom of conscience in Russia during 63 years of Communism. It starts mentioning the intellectual resistance offered the Shostakovitch musician family for 3 generations; more recently, 2 members of the family had requested asylum to Western Germany. Ben Abraham says this is an example of the millions of illustrated Russians, whom the Communist regime had not been able to completely subjugate.

The author goes on to analyze the Russian society: only 3% of the Russian population actually belong to the Communist party; half is probable to have affiliated to it against their own will. Those who willingly joined are much more concerned with their own political career than with moral scruples or with other people. Besides, the governing elite determine the ruling ideology and enslave the proletariat. The elite have never been worried about “completing” the revolution by the establishment of social justice.

The last part of the article expresses the author’s belief that the Communist regime would not last forever. Voice were beginning to be raised inside and outside Russia. A revolt in Poland, for instance, would certainly spread to the other countries under Russian domain. So the USSR could be compared to an inverted pyramid, the balance of which could be shaken both from the inside and from the outside.

Feb, 5th, 1982
“The USSR preaches peace and nourishes wars”
Folha da Tarde

This article summarizes another article published in July, 9th, 1979, in the same newspaper: “USSR: threat to the free world”, which is aimed at demonstrating the contradiction between the rhetoric and the actions of the Soviet leaders.

According to the author, in the attempt to make Communism rule over the world, Communist leaders adapt their strategies to the circumstances of each country they try to conquer: in totalitarian right-winged regimes, Communists present themselves as nationalists and try to topple the government down and generate a political chaos so that they can seize power; in liberal countries, they disguise themselves as democrats, taking advantage of freedom of press and speech to cause the people to distrust their leaders, thus undermining solid governments.

Moscow exercises total control over Communist parties in other countries; these frequently sacrifice local interests on behalf of international Communism. An authentic Communist is a fanatic that blindly obeys orders, thinking he is serving the benefit of all when he is actually playing the game of the party’s leaders, who are only concerned with their own personal ambitions. In their view, any method is legal if the objective is the spread of Communism throughout the world; even terrorism is acceptable. Ironically, those who actually live in a Communist country do not believe this anymore.

Finally, Soviet leaders have repeatedly distorted History, as when Stalin declared that World War II had been caused by International Capitalism, putting Hitler aside and omitting the fact that he had himself allowed Germany to invade Poland, thus starting the conflict.

At the end of the article, the author questions Soviet “comrades” if they were willing to hold a referendum in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Poland and other countries in order to know if they really wanted the Soviet “fraternal help”. That would be better than invading or promoting a state of war in those countries.

March, 24th, 1983
“Moscow: difficult crossroads”
Folha da Tarde

The article opens with a question: how would Iuri Andropov act if the president of USA acted as firmly as John Kennedy in the Cuban missile crisis?

It then lists several threats made by the Soviet government. First, the Soviet official newspaper “Pravda” had announced that the USSR could attack USA in reprisal for installing missiles close to countries aligned to them. Second, a Soviet official had said during a speech in Damascus that a new war between Syrian and Israel would provoke a direct conflict between the two superpowers. (The author then reminds the reader that the USSR has been making the same promises since 1956, however abandoning their Arab allies to fend for themselves).

According to the author, no one knows if these threats could be serious or only another bluff. However, two things were certain: the Soviet Union was internally in a critical conditions; besides, the successive revolts among satellite states showed the USSR could not trust him. Consequently, Soviet leaders would have to decide between peace with internal chaos or a lost war.