new
internationalist 153
November 1985
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The Socialist Spectrum
Friends and foes of socialism alike tend to see it as one fixed system. But in fact it comes in many different varieties. Here's a New Internationalist summary of just six of them.
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WOMEN AND SOCIALISM
Women s equality is a strong platform of socialist governments. Legal
equality is reflected in education and reproductive rights policies but statistics do not
show women’s continued responsibility for domestic tasks nor the extent of violence
against women. Legal equality appears not to result in women holding top political jobs.
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HEALTH AND SOCIALISM
Health indicators in socialist countries vary as widely as anywhere else. Differences
reflect a country’s history in terms of resources, political struggles, foreign aid
and rate of development.
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SWEDEN
pop: 8.3 million
POLITICS - The Swedish Social Democratic Party has been in
powerfor6l of the last 65 years. Olaf Palme is currently president of their multi-party
democracy. Opposition from Left to Right.
THE ECONOMY - Relatively prosperous with a per capita income
of nearly 12 thousand US dollars and low unemployment rate (3.5%). Combination of private
ownership with very advanced health and welfare programs. Slow growth rate (zero by 1 981)
is endangering funding of social programs. Industry is dependent on over 400,000 guest
workers - mostly Finns and Yugoslavs. Highest 10% gets 28.1% of income.
THE MILITARY - Sweden follows a neutral foreign policy.
Sixty-six per cent more is spent on education than on defense although there is
conscription.
HUMAN RIGHTS - No capital punishment. Full political rights
and no political prisoners or censorship.
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NICARAGUA
pop: 3 million
POLITICS - Multiparty system with the Sandinista National
Liberation Front playing the leading role. In 1 979 the Sandinista’s lead the
overthrow of the 40-year old Somoza family dictatorship. In 1 984 the Sandinista’s
took 61 seats in the National Assembly elections. The opposition took 29 seats in an
election judged by independent observers to have been free and fair. The Sandinista
President is Daniel Ortega.
THE ECONOMY - Under Somoza, 41% of the land was controlled by
big landowners; after the Sandinista land reform program it is down to 11%. They have
tripled the health and education funds that Somoza made available. The economy is mixed
with 40% still in private hands. A recent US trade and credit embargo has aggravated
shortages and black market activity.
THE MILITARY - CIA support for the Reagan-sponsored contra guerrillas
has forced the Sandinistas to dramatically increase defense spending, from 7% in 1 980-81
to 40% of spending in 1985.
HUMAN RIGHTS - Mixed picture. Some censorship although the
anti-government daily La Prensa continues to publish. Amnesty International reports
political prisoners, many ex-Somoza National Guards. Tensions with the Miskito Indians on
the Atlantic coast. Capital punishment abolished by Sandinistas.
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U.S.S.R.
pop: 272.5 million
POLITICS - The Communist Party (CPSU), the only legal party,
has been in power since the Bolshevik Revolution of 1 91 7. Current President is the
reform-minded Michael Gorbachev. All citizens over 18 can vote - but in practice for
only one official candidate.
THE ECONOMY - Remains highly centrally-planned despite reform
efforts. Full employment and free health services but economic problems include poor
quality goods, stagnating agriculture and shortages of basic goods like meat and housing.
Meat consumption per capita was a lowly 56kg in 1980.
THE MILITARY - Superpower status. Military spending is 47% of
total spending more than twice the amount spent on education. Over 700,000 troops
stationed in 24 countries outside its own borders. Conscription and priority to defense
industries. Major arms trader in 1 982 - 22.4 billion dollars worth to highly
repressive regimes.
HUMAN RIGHTS - Amnesty Intemational reports thousands of
political prisoners. Use of psychiatric and labour camps to control dissidents. Government
control of press and capital punishment. Opposition includes an independent peace movement
and the circulation of underground publications.
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 HUNGARY pop: 10.7 million
POLITICS - Janos Kadar is the First Secretary of the ruling
Hungarian Socialist Workers Party. Despite being put in power by the Soviets after the
failed revolution in 1956, Kadar has implemented a program of cautious reforms popular in
the country. For the first time in 1985 Hungarians could vote for non-party candidates
running against official candidates for the 387-seat advisory parliament.
THE ECONOMY - Kadar’s ‘goulash communism’
approach combines overall planning with a New Economic Mechanism (1968) allowing limited
initiative by individua Is and co-operatives. Despite some shortages, the standard of
living is the most prosperous in Eastern Europe. Market does skew income however, lowest
20% earn only 6.9% of total income.
THE MILITARY - In foreign policy Hungary follows the Soviet
line. There are four Soviet divisions stationed in the country. The military budget is
only 8.9% of all spending. Conscription.
HUMAN RIGHTS - Few political prisoners. Dissidents are
altematively harassed and tolerated. Lively opposition; independent peace and ecology
groups and underground publications. Capital punishment.
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 YUGOSLAVIA pop: 22.8 million
POLITICS - The ruling League of Communists was lead to power
by Tito in the partisan struggle against the German occupatiQn in World War II. Yugoslavia
is a federal republic with much power remaining in the hands of six individual republics.
The rotating President of the Federal Executive Council is currently Mika Spiljak.
THE ECONOMY - In 1 958 the League laid out the framework for a
program of worker’s self-management in economic decisions. While the economy is more
democratic it is beset with problems - regional disparities, income disparities
(22.9% of income controlled by the top 10%). a million unemployed and a serious inflation
problem.
THE MILITARY - After the second World War Tito broke with the
USSR and Yugoslavia now has an independent foreign policy. High military spending (20.8%
of the budget) is the result of continued uncertainty about Russian intentions.
Conscription.
HUMAN RIGHTS - Opposition groupsare illegal. They are often
harassed and impnsoned. The government is particularly nervous about regional nationalism.
Capital punishment There is a tradition of Marxist humanism in the opposition.
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ETHIOPIA
pop: 40.9 million
POLITICS - Lieutenta nt-Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam is
President and leader of the military ‘Dergue’ that overthrew Emperor Haile
Selassie in 1974. The Dergue rules Ethiopia on its own after having systematically
eliminated the civilian parts of the revolution in the ‘Red Terror’ of 1977-78.
THE ECONOMY - The largely agricultural economy is in very bad
shape. Over 100,000 have died in the current African famine that has hit Ethiopia very
hard. Despite extensive land reform in the South over 60% of foreign exchange earnings
come from exporting one cash crop: coffee. Mixed economy, some foreign ownership.
THE MILITARY - Aligned with the Soviet Union. Continuing to
fight wars against liberation movements in Eritrea and Tigray provinces. Military gets the
lion’s share of the budget - 42% in 1 982. There is a large conscripted army of
250,000 with some 1 2,500 foreign advisors mostly Soviet and Cuban. There are also 1
50.000 police.
HUMAN RIGHTS - Amnesty reports several thousand political
prisoners and the widespread use of torture. Effective opposition groups are the Eritrean
People’s Liberation Front and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, both in the
North of the country.
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