SJS4 - "The Burden of Communist Legacies

Source: Tismaneanu, Vladimir . "The Burden of Communist Legacies." Current History Vol. 113: No. 765. October 2014. (293-295).

Author Credentials: Vladimir Tismaneanu is qualified to discuss the issue of Soviet Communism because he is a professor of politics and has devoted his life to studying and interpreting Communism and has had a first hand account of Communism in Romania. He is the current chair of the Editorial Committee of East European Politics and Societies and is affiliated with a multitude of organizations studying Soviet Communism. While growing up in Communist Romania, Tismaneanu acquired a Ph.D. in politics from the University of Bucharest, Romania. With a background centralized around communism and a life of studying politics, I would consider Vladimir Tismaneanu to be a very credible and reliable source for the topic of Soviet Communism. 

Summary: The main point argued by Vladimir Tismaneanu is that the dominating force of Communism in Soviet Russia brought the region of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe into a transition paradigm, in which power shifted from former dictatorships to democracy, and equality for the people. He brings up a good point by saying "Legacies are neither homogenous nor linear, but polychromatic structures linking the past to the present." In short, he is arguing that the Communist legacy of the Soviet Union has not relinquished its influence on contemporary Russia because it was a unifying, or connecting force from modern Russia to contemporary Russia. The cultural context of this article is that it provides insight towards the forces of past Communist governments and how they continue to impact society today. Despite being more or less a dying and less significant governing system today, the burdens of a Communist past lead to social patterns and regimes, which help define their cultures today. 

Analysis: Yes, I would support Tismaneanu's argument due to the fact that it was very informative, and provided core structural background information in a concise, understandable manner. Despite being a relatively short article, I believe that it was sufficient in this case in deepening my understanding of the broad topic of Soviet Communism. On multiple occasions, the author does a good job of succinctly differentiating between fact and opinion, making for a clear argument. As a result of his proper execution of the article and studies in the field, I would consider Tismaneanu to be a very reliable source.