page eight changed every two to four /years, just as in George Orwell's 1984, the Ministry of Truth changes historical records to suit its regimes policies. Since this subject has no logical structure and _ its ‘content changes, a student has no way of knowing how well he’s doing and bad marks can be given arbitra- rily, thus providing the state with a powerful lever to weed out undesirables. That is why the demands of Polish students to abolish compulsory courses in Marxism, as presented in Soviet universities, is dis- torted beyond recognition. |The development of Marx 'as a philosopher is not studied and early Marx is absolutely off limits. Onl those parts of Marx whic the current regime finds useful for its purposes are | studied. Marx’s statement that, ‘‘A censored press only serves to demoralize. That greatest of vices, hypo- |erisy, is inseparable from it’’, would never be seen in a textbook on Marx. Stu- dents must also take ‘‘scien- tific’’ communism and are required to pass an oral final examination in this course before a board of examiners who have before them the Student’s charac- ter report. The student can never be certain he can pass this exam unless he has shown he has been obedient and conformist. Free thinking in disci- plines such as history, phi- losophy, psychology, and law is unheard of. Students in these disciples undergo a rigorous selection process for many of them will even- tually man the Soviet pro- paganda machine. and ad- ministration. Applicants. to law schools and foreign ‘relations school are often : selected on a family basis - ‘a fact well known among Soviet students. At law school many students are weeded out during studies so only those who have proved themselves to be absolute conformists and have good academic stan- ding continue to the end of their studies. For the most part, a Soviet lawyer is told what to think not how to think. A Soviet lawyer must learn to tolerate Article 77 of the soviet penal code which allows for the pro- longation of prison terms and the execution of priso- ners without any legal pro- cedure. He also learns to tolerate show trials and the fabricated charges the state uses to rid itself of dissi- dents or anyone it disap- .proves of. Soviet psychia- trists, if they wish to get anywhere, must accept without questions that anti- Soviet activity is a form of schizophenia and that psy- chology is, as is history, ‘what the state says it is. The study of Marxist and other philosophies has got- ten many Soviet philoso- phers into trouble and into ‘prison. At the technical university O. Shmelyof was attending, a philosophy pro- fessor who taught critical ‘thinking instead of passive acceptance was fired in 1974 after several warnings from the university’s administra- tion. During previous re- gimes state interference in academic affairs reached even higher levels of absur- dity. Under Stalin’s reign a famous biologist, Vavilov, was murdered for holding views on biology that Stalin disagreed with. The study of cybernetics during Stalins time was disapproved of and scientists conducting research on it was dis- missed and even impriso- ned. At the same time the Americans were using cy- bernetics during the Korean war to computerize bomb sights. Shortly after Stalin’s reign the ban on cybernetics was lifted but the imprisoned _ scientist were not released. At present, however, research in the sciences is not inter- ferred with directly, yet all research scientists know they have to participate in brainwashing sessions, join the Communist party and partake in its activities, and do compulsory agricultural work to be able to continue with their research work. After graduating a_ stu- dent has to work for three years at a job the state appoints him to before he is allowed to apply for work elsewhere. Moscow citizens are appointed to jobs in Moscow and graudates from outside Moscow can be sent anywhere unless they have obtained a Moscow resi- dence permit. Before July 1978, an outsider had to be married for six months to a Moscow citizen to obtain a residence permit, but be- cause of the influx of out- siders who had arranged marriages of convenience this period was increased to three years. Soviet citizens Je FINN.CHNPER ARE | Ng "eal ag 3 wa Ta ARV aA At - Tepoxf. .COME ¢ EAT. DANNIT.Z* EVERTHINCE WE GOT ALL HE DOE THITHTHOUL THEARCH, YOU \WOULD ALMOTHTTHINK HE ENJOYED NATURE. THE BUM, an he Other Press anxious to live in Moscow, Leningrad, or Kiev are because the standard of living in these cities is far better than anywhere else in the Soviet Union. These cities are artificial paradi- ses, by Soviet standards, not western standards, which are created as show- pieces for foreigners and havens for the administra- tive hierarchy. After a graduate’s three year ap- pointment is finished he can, in theory, move where he wishes. When he at- tempts to move, however, he has to contend with a vicious circle of conditions for moving. He cannot - obtain a residence permit if he has no job in the city he wishes to move to. If he has no residence permit, he cannot obtain housing and he cannot obtain housing unless he has a job. A person cannot break out of this circle on his own, he has to induce the local administration to intervene on his behalf. Whether or not the local administration will help the applicant de- pends on local labour needs and how well the applicant has behaved and shown his devotion to the state. The state grip on a graduate is not. relinquished at gradua- tion! The state controls the distribution of housing, in- come, privileges higher education, and promotions. Needless to say, if a gra- duate wishes to further his education his academic per- formance is not the only factor taken into account by the authorities when he applies for graduate school. His references from the Communist Party and the YCL, which he is a member of until age 28, can tip the scale either way. bad g op tb Ang pA Re ) HERE, aoe gig WEVE BEEN canceteo I GA. Gone TOOFAR. ANOT Ta THE THTRIP RUMMY WATH BAD ENOUGH, GUT THELVING, 1 WONT THTAND FOR. THITH HATH HAVE AN OUT. In the Soviet Union there is no open market in hou- sing; the factory or institu- tion a graduate is assigned to work at allocates housing. A person can live up to twenty years in a dormitory while waiting to get an apartment. References from the Communist Party, the YCL, and the trade union one belongs to have to be re-submitted when applying for an apartment. One’s professional perfor- mance and social activity can speed up the application process considerably. Peo- ple living in dormitories are given only temporary resi- dence permits and are de- pendent on the good graces of the state to have that permit renewed. If the permit isn’t renewed the person has no right to medical service and can be arrested for not having a residence permit. _ is that it places its citizens state of affairs is able to The system of privileges Soviet students became ac- quainted with through the - YCL during their time at university plays an impor- tant role in their later life. Those who are most active professionally with the Communist Party or with their Trade Union, find that the services of the state are more available to them than For instance, they others. ting in the Soviet Union April 2, 1981 find it easier to place their children in daycare centre and they get trips to resorts for themselves and thei children at greatly reduce prices. In the provinces where food stores only con- tain. basic items such as bread, cereals, and milk, the distribution of fish, meat, eggs, butter and sau- sages is done through food cards given out at work. When demand _ exceed supply the social activist are given preference. Up- per levelCommunist part members in the _ Soviet Union enjoy the most privi- liges. They have access to the best food the Soviet Union and the West offers all year around as well as| access to Western products which they can buy at special stores that only they can shop at! The most fundamental] feature of the Soviet system in a situation where they are dependent on the state for their basic human needs, freedom, housing, jobs, and in some cases food. This transform a person’s psy- chological make-up and ef- face their humanity in a way analogous to Patricia Hearst’s transformation when her kidnappers con- trolled her basic human needs. At least 20 million people were killed by Stalin’s regime - murders were not invited from the outside. The system exis- today is not so obviously brutal - it no longer kills people, it kills what makes them human. A _ Soviet citizen has to learn to sup- press his conscience and mind and submit to the has} blueprint the state drawn for him. AND JUuS7 AT THAT GANGA INDUCED MONENTeoee youtl HAVE TO SIGN FOR iT. Fate Y INTERRUPT THTRIP RUMNYGR.. FAN WHADDA YA . MIHELED?.