How important was citizen participation in Soviet decision-making Essay

How important was citizen participation in Soviet decision-making - Essay Example 46). Only in the beginning of 1990s, citizens of the former Soviet Union began to speak about the 74 years of Soviet regime as a "blank space" in the course of national history, a blunder, a roundabout way, as something that virtually better hadn't happened. "Now 1991 is referred to as the "collapse" or "falling-apart" (raspad), a word with almost purely negative connotations, even though people also tell opinion-pollers that they would not want to go back to the old order" (Sherman 1990 p. 15). Besides there is no doubt that knowledge in this area is highly disordered disorientation and blurred as for a very long time nearly until the beginning of "perestroika" the Soviet Union remained a skilfully isolated and closed political system (Segal, Batt, Buzan, Duncan, Goodman, Price, Margot, Williams & Womack 1992). In our work we'll investigate the Soviet era itself with its "backwardness". We will view the question through the prism of the course of comparatively recent history from 1917 to 1991. In short, our incentive is not to prove that twentieth century Russia and the whole USSR was backward but to demonstrate how decisive this backwardness was and even is for Russian and Soviet self-understanding (Fitzpatrick 2000, p. 378). Russia's "backwardness" as compared with the Wes... 104) "Russia as third Rome" were still general and common, but even the supporters of such concepts like Slavophiles often had prejudice and concerning the universal Russian intelligentsia's sense of inferiority about west countries that were considered to be more developed (Motyl 1990, p. 211). Marxist revolutionaries as a group of the radical intelligentsia which appeared in the beginning of the 20th century got the name the Bolsheviks. Socialism implies for them a lot, but what appeared to be the most essential, as became clearly understandable after they gain power in the October Revolution in 1917, was the process of "modernization" or "modification" the whole society. Their fundamental incentive was the surmounting of historic backwardness of the country (Drakulic 1987). The Bolsheviks considered that this so-called economic and cultural backwardness was the result of quantity of the non-Slavic peoples of the North and East and "dark" peasantry. "Since Russia's population in the early twentieth century was 80 per cent peasant, and non-Slavs constituted close to half of the population of the state that in 1923 became the Soviet Union that meant that "backwardness" was the prevailing condition" (Fitzpatrick 2000, p. 378). The Bolsheviks considered themselves a vanguard party. Strictly speaking, this implied that they represented the vanguard of the proletariat; and in broader meaning, it implied a vanguard of education with the main aim to steer the public masses out of backwardness. And after the winning of Revolution they declared their vanguard in the whole world (Sherman 1990 p. 14). These events were profoundly based on their Marxist perception of history, with its ideas and postulates

Should College Athletes Get Paid Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should College Athletes Get Paid - Term Paper Example Setting aside for the now that college athletes who participate in the more popular sports such as football and basketball earn millions of dollars for their respective college and that non-athletic students gain from these financial benefits as well, athletes, by virtue of their demanding schedule, are deprived of the ability to earn while they learn and because of this reason alone should be compensated somewhat. The amount of a stipend is debatable but a reasonable amount of, for example, $200 per month is hardly exorbitant. This discussion will examine the reasons why college athletes receive pay. Both the universities and the NCAA make millions of dollars each winter from the bowl games following the regular football season, a sum that doesn’t include the share individual conferences enjoy. Now add up concession and ticket proceeds, merchandise sales and money gained from corporate sponsorships that without the existence of sports would not be available to a university ev ery year. Those millions come from one month’s revenue from one sport. The college athletes understand that their efforts produce many millions of dollars for their schools but they are not allowed to make even pocket change while giving their all for their team. Athletes are subjected to the most meager of a life under current NCAA rules. Meanwhile, they observe other students with enough spending money at least for an occasional burger and their coach making a multi-million dollar income but know that it is them who are the ones that making the biggest sacrifice. When a college athlete or their family is experiencing financial difficulties as is the instance in many situations, the pressure to leave school to try a professional career is enormous. What would inspire a student-athlete in this predicament to remain in school if they were presented with a chance to earn what even a minor league salary or a backup role at the top league level may offer? Moreover, college athlet es face the perpetual threat of a career ending injury. This has ended the dreams of many for a professional career but, more tragically, also ends their academic career too. (Chaisson, 2001). There undoubtedly is a disparity between athletes and non-athlete students which is not in favor of the athlete. For example, college students who are engaged in extracurricular pursuits other than athletics, musicians for instance collect scholarships and can perform for their college’s symphony whether they or not they are academically eligible. They are also able to perform and make money in a professional band or orchestra while enrolled at school. By contrast, if athletes did this, they would lose their scholarship, be kicked out of school and most likely end any chance of playing professional sports. Furthermore, a music student is able to earn a music degree and even for a specific instrument. â€Å"A football or basketball major is unheard of, much less a major in playing quart erback or strong forward. Athletes are scrutinized for getting any type of job while on scholarship for their school. Getting paid to play or work in football would be sacrilege† (Chaisson, 2001). Student athletes represent of a unique sector of the school’s population. Much more is required of them. Athletes spend much more time and effort than general population students and are relentlessly challenged with balancing academics, athletics and social