outback to jungle

Musings on experiences of volunteering in Papua New Guinea with some gratuitous domestic social and public comment

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Nikita Kruschev, former USSR Premier

recounted the story of the hard nosed Stalin. Kruschev was Commissar for Ukraine during the drought of 1937 and he appealed for assistance from the Kremlin which refused to help. But Comrade Stalin complained Kruschev (a very VERY brave thing to do), last week I was in a peasant's house and she was salting down what looked to be a small piglet. She was complaining about the starvation. Comrade she wailed you must help us. After we have eaten dear little Andrei Andreivich we will have nothing and we too will be dead. Comrade Stalin, things are desperate. These peasants are reduced to eating their own babies. Nonsence Nikita scoffed Stalin. These peasants are very wily. They are just trying to appeal to you for your sentimentality.
I used to be sentimental like Kruschev. I wouldn't say I am exactly hard nosed like Stalin - I don't think I am? But I am hard nosed about this country. The Celts had to choose between Roman ways and their traditional ways. Some choices are not easy. It depends on what you have to give up for what the advantages might be. Is it a good thing to give up tribal culture for materialism? TVs, cars, consumerism, celebrityism? Head-dresses, feathers through nose, grass skirts, bride price, pigs? What would Stalin do?

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