[Hell or Paradise]

The file contains several reports written by Paul Anderson, regading the reality of Soviet life. He gives informations about Soviet collective farms, the trade Unions and about Red Army refugees who recently escaped to the West from the Soviet zone of Germany. As Anderson argues communities in the country side of Russia had a hard and not easy life, which makes it even more surprising why they were still voting for the communist party. This is based ultimately on illudions and ideals that are false even if they are genuinely and sincerely belived in. To every Soviet citizen the first experiance of the non Russian world is a colossal eye-opener and produces a severe psychological shock. Main reason of the shock is, that they have been told that their life is heaven and paradise compared with conditions in the Western world. But trade Unions, Union protection of labour, welfare organisation, wage agreements and improvement of working conditions do not exist for the Russian workers. So colled 'trade unions' in the Soviet Union and in Soviet satelite countries fulfill none of the basic requiremtns of trade unions. The are organs of the state and controlled by the only ruling party, the commununist party.