From: utzoo!decvax!pur-ee!uiucdcs!grunwald
Newsgroups: net.space
Title: Re: Science in the Soviet Union - (nf)
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.226
Posted: Sun Jul  4 15:26:42 1982
Received: Mon Jul  5 00:56:04 1982
Reply-To: s

#R:ihuxi:-17400:uiucdcs:12700007:000:1154
uiucdcs!grunwald    Jul  4 14:59:00 1982

   The problem remains that you look at soviet technology from the context of
american technology when the two are not comparable. The USSR came out of
WWII with a large number of it's production facilties (what little they had)
blow to shreds. They had famaine and large numbers of dead. Many of the dead
were the people who would be needed to rebuild their country.

To not realise the great strides made by the Soviets is to do them and yourself
a disservice. Underestimating their ability and determination to never have
these things happen to themselves has caught the USA with it's pants down
several times -- when the USSR detonated its first atmoic weapon, when they
lanuched Sputnik, when they detonated the hydrogen weapons and when they
earnestly got involved in a space program.

It bothers me for some reason that people are so unwilling to see that despite
their obviously uncool political setup, the USSR has made more advances in the
time given then most other countries. To ignore said point is to open the
door to contempt, something that can not be afforded between two superpowers
who have enough power to destroy life as we know it.