European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 columns. The stars and stripes sunday. October 23.19b8 David Remnick Gorbachev working to Widen Farmers potential when Kremlin Leader Mikhail Gorbachev made his historic speech a year ago on the crimes of the Stalin Era Many fell he had t gone far enough with hit criticism especially of the brutal collectivization of soviet farms in he late 1920s and Early 1930s. But Gorbachev has proven that he rethinking of soviet history despite its limits could have far reach ing consequences for the lives of Ordinary first opening the Way for a historical Examina Tion of collectivization Gorbachev could never have made the sort of Radical pitch for widespread new forms of farming As he did wednesday at a dramatic meeting with agricultural leaders at the Kremlin. Western and some soviet scholars estimate that Mil Lions of soviet citizens died during mass deportations and famine during Josef Stalin s collectivization his nov. 7 speech last year Gorbachev spoke vaguely of a policy that had periods of excesses bul one that was a transformation of Yea but in the past several months Gorbachev has steadily increased the Sharpness of his View of collectivization. More importantly he has permitted numer Ous journals and newspapers to print evidence of mass repressions and deaths during the period. Last month the communist party newspaper pravda denounced collectivization As a cruel policy that led to a legacy of massive stagnation in soviet agriculture. Gorbachev needed to clarify soviet history in order to turn soviet history around. Leaving the details to historians Gorbachev moved to questions of policy. For months in devised speeches and meetings he has been calling for 50-year leases for family Farmers and gradual reduction in scope for he massive sock Homes state farms and Kol Khozen collective farms. At one meeting he wid ened that Appeal asking that the entire agrarian Sec Tor follow this his idealized picture of soviet agriculture one dominated by smaller groups of ambitious Farmer who Are out to maximize production As Well As their own income is at Complete Odds with five decades of soviet ideology. Gorbachev is encouraging nothing less than the resurrection of a class of banners who would have been denounced and executed during Sla Lin s collectivization Gorbachev will not be Able to transform soviet Agri culture overnight. Not Only docs he face Strong opposition from Hie invariably conservative and bureaucratic leaders of regional slate farms he also must convince Farmers that they have nothing to fear economically or jul radically from the new lease arrangements. Soviet officials say in interviews that some people arc hesitant to change their ways because they rom pm Dan rodr1cks democracy comes to t14e soviet Union. Bar the past Only too Well. There is a fear of getting wealthy and then getting in trouble one official said. Considering the Radical nature of Gorbachev s plan it is Small wonder that his conservative rival on the politburo Yegor Migachev and the hidebound head of Moscow s agricultural planning commission Vsevolod Murakhovsky were nowhere to be seen at the Cen trial committee meeting Migachev who was shifted from the ideology to Agri culture portfolio in a major Kremlin shake up earlier this month believes in limited economic Reform but has publicly warned against major transgressions against the glorious achievements of the past. Gorbachev who has become head of government As Well As Leader of the communist party has extraordinary Power not Only to criticize the past but then later to advertise the Virtues of his new policies. And nowhere has that been More apparent than in his attempts to turn around the soviet Union s massive food problem. Using television As his primary propaganda toot Gorbachev used a september trip to he siberian City of Krasnoyarsk to dramatize the Depths of Peoples concerns. And last week during televised excerpt from his Central committee meeting with farm Lead ers he orchestrated a lengthy discussion on the Virtues of he new leasing plan As always Gorbachev interrupted speeches brow beating speakers when they contradicted the new line and More often encouraging those who supported along. Gorbachev has steadily extended the bound Aries of ideology and discourse on among other issues agriculture. He has also tried not to outrun of calling for the elimination of collective and state farms he said that widespread leasing would open up a person s desire to own land and resources to create his own family farm does not contradict socialism comrades he said in his speech at the Cen trial committee. Such an owner will work on land that is Public 10 to Wunn Glon pm Don f dress Down that Queen Nancy image when it comes to clothes the first lady just can t say no. Of she tried. God knows she tried. Way Back when the Reagan presidency was Young and the first lady and the president hosted a stale dinner for the the French pc indent Nancy Reagan wore a stunning Galanos outfit just a borrowed thing. But How did it took at the time the Reagan administration was trying to get Ketchup acknowledged As an official vegetable in he Federal school lunch program this somehow was sup posed to help save Money for missiles and you see it just did t a the reagans calling for austerity while the first lady looked like Well like a Queen. That was 1981. By 1982, the White House was try ing to Battle the Queen Nancy image. My goodness gracious americans were standing in line for surplus cheese while there was this perception that the first Tady was living the life of Royalty. And the outfits com pounded the problem. There was another problem. The clothes the first lady was wearing Cost thousands upon thousands of dollars. Sure they were borrowed. Liu the first lady was t exactly sporting the Cheryl Tiegs line from scars. Bill Blass Galanos Adolfo and Oscar de la Ren la were making the donations and there was the perception that those lop designers were making the Loans for the publicity value. So the White House counsel then suggested hat the first lady report Loans of clothing on the preside pcs financial disclosure form. Well now time Magazine says thai despite All the fuss in 1982, the first lady continued to borrow clothes from her designer pals and failed to disclose the Bor rowing. She apparently kept a lot of the clothing too. She set her own Little Rule and she broke her own Little Rule is How he first lady s own Little press Secre tary explained it. I m admitting for her hat she basically broke her own prom and now there is a big Flap. Well Well Well i say let she who hath not tinned cast the first sequin. Of for less than s 10,000. And goodness we re talking about the first lady of the United slates of America. What would you prefer that she shop through he Spiegel Catalon Wear stretch pants from k Mart get her dresses o t the rack at Macy a be real. Without Hilling up the top designers How can Nancy Reagan compete with the tikes of mrs. Gorba Chev who pm sure gels All her clothes from those hot hot hot soviets and besides if these designers did t tempt the first lady in the first place it might be possible for her to just say no. Adolfo the clothes Kingpin told he Washington Post that it was his fault that the first lady borrows rather than buy his designs. "1 say he said " Madame Why do you want to buy you have expenses living in the White House."1 if Adolfo offered me a new get up for dinner i h he Mill errands i for one would just say yes. So you Sec if we got some of those clothes pushers off he Street they would t be Able to prey upon innocent victims like the first lady who is merely a product of her environment utter luxury. But Slop a bit Stop a bit. All of this talk bothers me. Why should he first lady be ashamed Why should she feel she suffers from some kind of weird malady there is nothing Mega about Whai she has done All these years. And until someone says it is a crime for the tin lady to make obnoxious displays of costly clothing in Public Well you can keep your criticisms to yourself thank you. I for one fail to Sec the problem. God forbid we should return to the Dayi of the Fash ton malaise when the Carters were in he White House. The president wore cardigans for crying out loud and walked to his inauguration. And his wife that woman always wearing Humble threads some mics Ine same suit twice in one month. Do you worn to return to those Days of hum icily do you want to return to the Days of the fashion misery Index when Rosalynn Carter did t even own a fur i say god bless our first lady Nancy Reagan. She brought opulence excess and total disregard for Public opinion Back to the while House where uie belong. In this age of plastic Prosperity he first lady set a Standard for All american women nothing Bor rowed nothing gained. Al cd the by a
