The Union of Committee Socialist Republics was such an extreme case in European civilization that, although it was technically possible, it was pretty improbable that things would get worse.
I note in passing (well, for fun) that it was a union of republics in name only. It was a single elective despotism with polyglot tributaries, more fairly called the Russian Committee Empire. And, too, the committee (совет), though oppressive in its way, was only the third-most-characteristic social form of that unlamented polity. But I suppose it's poor salesmanship to call yourself the Union of Secret Police Socialist Republics or the Union of Prison Camp Socialist Republics.
It can be argued (and maybe was by Hayek) that in the long run all socialism is committee socialism, is secret police socialism, is prison camp socialism. If so, then any of the above names are redundant; it would have been sufficient to call it the Russian Socialist Empire.
"Russian" to distinguish it from anticipators (as in France) and contemporaries (as in China, North Korea, Cuba).
Huh?
The Union of Committee Socialist Republics was such an extreme case in European civilization that, although it was technically possible, it was pretty improbable that things would get worse.
I note in passing (well, for fun) that it was a union of republics in name only. It was a single elective despotism with polyglot tributaries, more fairly called the Russian Committee Empire. And, too, the committee (совет), though oppressive in its way, was only the third-most-characteristic social form of that unlamented polity. But I suppose it's poor salesmanship to call yourself the Union of Secret Police Socialist Republics or the Union of Prison Camp Socialist Republics.
It can be argued (and maybe was by Hayek) that in the long run all socialism is committee socialism, is secret police socialism, is prison camp socialism. If so, then any of the above names are redundant; it would have been sufficient to call it the Russian Socialist Empire.
"Russian" to distinguish it from anticipators (as in France) and contemporaries (as in China, North Korea, Cuba).
Compared to knocking out the power most likely to cause worldwide nuclear annihilation, those are mere bagatelles.