European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 28, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I Art cheaply priced but not often available the country in this Century one Aller the bolshevik revolution and civil War the second when dictator Josef Stalin forced Tarm collectivization in the 1030s Western historians estimate As Many As 20 Mill on perished in the purges As Stalin eradicated his rivals and drove the country relentlessly to industrialize and trial another 20 million died in a desperate struggle Lor survival against nazi invaders in world War u. Against that backdrop. Iho Security of a Job however menial housing however cramped and food however Plain is hardly insignificant. Risks like those inherent in a Iree Enle Prisa system or a Markel Economy can appear terribly threatening to people Whoso Lite Long goal is lil Jjo More than Security. In two giant Steps toward improving Peoples sense of Security. Gorbachev has successfully negotiated the Rajsl weapons treaty with the United Stales that bans an entire class of nuclear arms. And he has begun to withdraw soviet troops from the protracted War in Afghanistan where they had been bogged Down Tor eight years. Gorbachev has instituted competitive elections of some supervisory personnel in plants and lower level party officials in a move to make Iho bureaucracy More responsive and to Root out dead Wood and corruption. And he has begun id prune the party and government apparatus in an efficiency drive that has frightened Many who think they see the spectre it unemployment looming on the horizon. He also has sought to reassure people Hal his More pragmatic approach to socialism will improve  lives not threaten them. This society will inevitably be More Multi layered he said but it will remain socialist and it will not Togo the principles of social Justice comradeship and internationalism in the  May �6,1988 Pepsico which a bean setting it coif in the soviet Union since 19?3, recently concluded a Dottl lot two plus Hila in Moscow. More things american such to Mcdonalds and Vita cards ate Toon to coma. Pop goes soviet culture by Charles Mitchell United press International Here Napoleon and Hitler failed. Ihu hamburger and credit card seem certain to succeed. American pop culture the Good. The bad and the Lasiy is invading the soviet Union in an All out assault. Many things Western Long denied soviets and condemned As the forbidden fruit of decadent imperialism Are in the process of entering everyday soviet lilo. Like the credit card and Check Book. Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev s glasnost policy Means soviets Are being inundated with big macs rom Mcdonald a pizza baseball checks and Beauty contests. Things american or merely things Western remain a prize catch among the Black marketeers and relatively wealth at Trie privileged elite. A pair of american jeans still brings More than too on the Street. A Western Rock music cassette not available in Rault the state monopoly record company Melodia will command $50 or More rom eager teenagers in Moscow s revolution Square. But the current Western onslaught is Lar larger than anything witnessed before mainly because it is officially sanctioned. In january the slate savings Sank introduced the country s first Check Book. Previously All transactions under 5,000 rubles 118,500 had la be conducted in Cash. Larger transactions were made by Bank guaranteed checks. Visa International signed a Deal in March that brings plastic Money to the soviet Union. Tho visa cards issued by the slate travel Bureau in Louvist initially will be available Only on a limited experimental basis. Also in recent months Pepsico concluded a deat for a pair of pizza hut restaurants in Moscow and Mcdonalds won agreement 1o build up to 20 restaurants beginning in 1939. Construction of the country s Fust baseball stadium Complete with artificial turf has started in the Lenin Hills above Moscow. The soviets who Leco gazed the american pastime As an official sport Only last year plan la enter a learn in the 199z olympics even though no one is be comparing the reigning National Champion irom the Moscow Institute of chemistry and technology o the new York Yankees. Just Down the Road irom the baseball stadium the Lisl Golf course country club in the soviet Union is under construction. Even the commercial is coming to soviet television in a serious Way in May when Michael Jackson makes h s to pitch Lor Pepsi cola. Pepsi was tie forerunner of