Proving yet again how out of touch the publication can be, the October 12 issue of Newsweek seriously asked the question: “Was Russia Better Off Red?” The “Back Story” page of the magazine featured a graphic comparing life under communism to now and bizarrely asserted: “Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has seen an increase in oligarchs and Louis Vuitton outlets. But by many other measures, Russians are worse off.”
Newsweek ignores slaughter of millions to hype the positives of Communism
Yes, despite the fact that 20 million people were murdered in Soviet Russia, this unsigned feature in Newsweek contrasted the crime rate under communism, the number of hospitals and the total number of cinemas (among other factors) to those in the country today. Sadly, there are only 1,510 movie theaters today. Under the brutal repression of communism, however, there were 2,337.
For sources, Newsweek cited the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Labour Organization, National Statistical Office of Federation, UNESCO and the World Health Organization. The publication didn’t explain why readers are supposed to assume that the original communist numbers are accurate.
Other statistics compared: Population, life expectancy at birth, divorces, diseases, agricultural land (in acres), forest land (in acres) and alcohol consumption. All of these, according to Newsweek, were better under some undated time of communism.
Read More: By Scott Whitlock, Newsbusters
Please share this post with your friends and comment below. If you haven’t already, take a moment to sign up for our free newsletter above and friend us on Twitter and Facebook to get real time updates.
Follow @WestJournalism
Read More on this Subject
- Bozell Column:The End Of Newsweek By Brent Bozell Newsweek greeted the coming of...
- Birds Of A Feather? Newsweek Bails Out Air America World Net Daily The left-leaning radio network Air America has...
- AIR AMERICA Partners With Newsweek Radio Ink Air America Media has formed a new syndication...
- New Newsweek Sells Like Old, Not Well By John Koblin, The New York Observer Liberal Meacham changed...
- Newsweek Attacks Jack Kemp Jack Kemp: The dangers of amateurism By Michael Hirsh, Newsweek...
Loading ...
Is the comparison between present day Russia and The USSR.
or resent day Russia and the similar land area during the Soviet Communistic era?
Sure there's less movie theaters, but way more flat-screen TVs in citizens' houses!
Probably the only really notable and worth while change occurring in Russia from the former days of being "red" and subsequent thereto, is that the slaughter of millions of Soviet citizens has ceased.
Russia has entered a more moderate political milieu because of the very fact that it cannot stand to loose anymore dissenting citizens. The birth rate is so low, as is reported, such that the government is offering rubles to women to have babies! Workers are needed and now some years away even if the potential moms take up the offer!