Reading about the Komsomol, or the Communist Youth Party, gave me an insight into the times of the Russian Revolution and the specific things that made the Communist Party turn into such an awful thing. Throughout history, totalitarian regimes have tried to establish control by turning to those who are most susceptible to radical ideas. In Russia, there was hardly anything standing in the way of the Soviets from doing just this. Most of the youth in Russia were poor, uneducated farmers, and it did not take much to offer them an escape from this. The fact that the Komsomol turned into nothing more than a violent, ignorant, sexually aggressive group of men is not surprising to me, and has been seen time and time again in history.
By offering someone to be a part of a "bigger thing" than themselves, he or she is enticed to the inherent power associated with this. While sometimes this can turn into a collective group of people working to do good, most of the time it is quite the opposite. In the case of the Komsomol, this group quickly turned into a massive, uncontrollable force with no real leadership. It seems crazy that they were able to rape women, destroy property, and sometimes even kill those who opposed them and get away with it, but to me it just an example of the danger mass mind-shaping of the youth can bring about. As humans, we hope to think that the youth is the next step, the progressive force in society. That is apparent in American politics today. Our generation is the one looked to to stop pollution, improve education, and basically bring America back to where it was when we viewed ourselves as the sole superpower of the world. In many ways, I believe that this is true: that much of the youth in this country are aware of the problems that have been created by those before them, and many of us strive to fix them. However, the power of controlling the youth in a negative light, much like the Communists did with the Komsomol, is very evident across the world, specifically the Middle East. Terrorist groups constantly target the youth as their weapons; by telling an innocent mind about the evils of the Western world, over and over again, it is not hard to see how these same people end up being the suicide bombers, the insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, etc. I feel sorry for these young men and women, and immediately saw the parallel between these people and those in the early 20th century that were convinced to join the Komsomol.
I think reading about the Komsomol gives great insight into the power of the masses, and how the easiest way to form these masses is by tapping into young minds at a young age. The power of the youth is not something that should be ignored; in fact, it should be cherished and used in a powerful, productive way. I hope to see the American youth of today band together in a productive way, one that will help reverse some of the problems with our society that have been established by those before us. And by reading about the Komsomol and comparing this organization to those such as al Qaeda, it is easy to see the dangers that the youth can bring. Looking back at history, like always, can point us in the right direction by showing us the failures of those before us.
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I agree with your opinion about embracing the youth. Just as today's most powerful people were once young, the youth will someday be the body that will control much of the world. In the case of Soviet Russia and the Komsomol, the youth were designated to initiate the Communist movement and eventually it took a life of its own. Focusing primarily on the social aspects of the organization rather than the political aims, the Komsomol transformed into a band of "hooligans" that were looked down upon by the rest of society. This brings up the issue regarding the amount of responsibility placed upon youth. The actions of the Komsomol essentially ruined the reputation of the Young Communist Party due to their lack of motivation, education, and responsibility tied to the Party's goals.
ReplyDeleteA very interesting post and analogy. You are quite right to look to the historical pattern of trying to win the hearts and minds of the youth. All regimes attempt to do this in order to secure their own future but in certain places it goes to extremes and leaders seek to convince the youth that their key role in creating a new society frees them from constraint or the bonds of traditional morality. What I find most interesting about the Komsomol is exactly the point you address: the youth of Russia had so little to lose under the old system that they would seem easy converts to the Socialist ideology yet somehow the Socialists failed to package their message in a way that appealed to youth broadly conceived and ended up attracting thugs and hooligans, effectively tarnishing the group they had created to appeal to youth.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that the only real way to change the government is through the masses, even if that means persuading the young people of the masses with entertainment and fame. The youth need to have their own formed opinions so that they can change politics or whatever on their own, and not just through an apathetic mass.
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