The Delicate Balance of Power and the Quest for Sustainable Peace in face of Imperialist Pressure During the Cold War

 The Delicate  Balance of Power

 and the Quest for Sustainable Peace in face of Imperialist Pressure During the Cold War

A review of the book “Our Aim is Preserve Peace”

by Jan Freidun Taravosh December 13th-14th

“A world without arms that is the ideal of Socialism”

Yuri Andropov

Introduction: 

During my student days at Malmö Univeristy a couple of years ago I engaged studies on the subject  disability and culture. discussing  culture at university during the our source material  to my disappointed was more or less limited to western sources (Sweden, UK, U.S) I started scouting for alternative sources and this is when I found this book. At the time I had no idea Yuri Andropov had ever published books and to my delight it was very easy read.

    

The Quest for Austainable peace in face of imperialist pressure

 in the primary sections  Yuri Andropov in the primary sections deals with the delicate issues such as  arms race, Détente  and the quest for peace and stability and in this book. Yuri Andrpov deals with the state of the world in his speech during a plenary meeting of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in November 1982. 

In face of a delicate situation in world politics internally and externally Comrade Andropov stressed the importance of Unity. “Unity is our strength and our promise for ultimate success”

Further in the same speech Comrade Andropov stressed the fact that: “A World without arms that is the ideal of Socialism”  interestingly enough although the USSR was signatory to the Warsaw treaty Comrade Andropov in contemplating such issues as the quest for  world peace and security still comes to admit that the group of states that created the non alignment movement is growing in importance. Other than dealing with the general guidelines in dealing with the nuclear threat, safeguarding peace and stability or maintaining international diplomatic relations. Comrade Andropov also uses a section of the book to present a lecture on the teachings of Karl Marx and a Few Questions on Building Socialism in the USSR 1983. 

The Origin of Marxism - Leninism

In his lecture Andropov explains without any complication how the name of Lenin is inseparable from that of Marx. Andropov explains how Leninism is a necessary development of the revolutionary ideology awsering to the trend of the times and does so in the following   words “Leninism is Marxism during the Era of Imperialism and  Proletarian revolutions  during the collapse of the colonial system, during the era of humanities transition from capitalism to socialism.”  Andropov makes clear that Leninism provided the basic strategy for the socialist revolution pointing out that the October Revolution triumphed during new historic conditions which did not exist in Marx lifetime. Leninism as a revolutionary component of scientific socialism in the era of imperialism thus provided the correct path for the success of the October Revolution.

Socialism is not a matter of abstract ideals

Comrade Andropov also  stresses  Marx teachings was never about abstract ideals, but rather the product of an analysis of the objective contradictions of large scale capitalism. Furthermore he explains that the revolution expresses itself differently in different countries and in different times, i.e he makes clear that there is more than one definition of what a socialist society looks like. Comrade Andropov explains “ Everywhere where Proletarian revolutions have triumphed, public ownership, which  established in one form or the other has become the main factor for the existing socialism it’s foundation and progress."  

The point made that Andropov  to makes in his lecture on building socialism in USSR 1983 is that the basic principles of Scientific socialism must always correspond to the specific  development conditions in the given nation - hence the term public ownership in one form or the other.

This is as true today as it was in 1983. 

Andropov also deals with the subject of  the relation work and culture in socialist society in this book and explains how socialism successfully removes age old barriers between the two.

Conclusion:

As noted this book was published in 1983 at a time were the balance of power was delicate and the quest for sustainable peace faced many challenges in face of imperialist pressure. 

The book was written in the time of the arms race and thus the book also deals with security issues and international relations in general. 

All in All I think it is a very good read, and would recommend it to anyone.  worth pointing out is that while Yuri Andropov is not talked about that often,  this does not make this book any less essential.  while some may argue that the parts of the book dealing with the arms race and nuclear threat seems a little bit out of fashion these days, I for one do not agree reading about the soviet point of view on these issues is a rare treat.  Regardless Andropov’s lecture on a few questions concerning the building of socialism in the USSR 1983 is especially worthwhile.   I would warmly recommend reading “our aim is to preserve peace to anyone , it’s a great read. Andropov, now who would have thunk it? 

For most people in the west the author of this great book is nothing more than a foot note in  history of the Cold War.