Lenin's Legacy Continued, or Killing People

Dear Esteemed Partner in Crime AKA Elizabeth,

It's true that the kulaks and Russian intellectuals were not treated as the same kind of population. Stalin would eventually put Kulaks into concentration camps, a measure that was never taken for the educated, noble elite. The elite were still dealt with harshly, in fact, the Bolsheviks adhered to a strict policy of quick arrest and quiet execution. However, both groups proved to be opposition for the new communist regime. This opposition meant that in true communist style, little distinction was made between them. Intellectualism and resources often generate the same sort of power for the lucky holders, so the government's violent course of action seemed quite straightforward. The groups had to be removed. Out of this apparent need came organizations such as the Checka and KGB; such organizations would be most effective after the Kulaks and intellectuals were disposed of because they specialized in picking off dissenting individuals/budding groups. Thus, the communist regime annihilated entire classes without giving the least thought to what distinguished them--in this they accomplished their goals.

Russia Today: Global 3000

With our recent debate about Russia, I thought this was a very timely Deutsche Welle report. Although not directly connected to revolution, the plan for the city outside of Moscow seems to be a classic manifestation of the Russian desire for expansion and modernization. The currently bankrupt project hearkens back to Peter the Great's ambitious founding of St. Petersburg, or at least that's what the Russian government's saying. Thoughts?