GLASNOST
Overview
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1. What is Glasnost? Glasnost has come to be known in the West
as the umbrella term covering Mikhail Gorbachev's program of
domestic reform in the Soviet Unidij, Glasnost literally means
"openness," In the Soviet Union it has been joined by two other
phrases: perestroika. "restructuring," and kritika, "criticism,"
The ultimate goal is to build a stronger socialist state by
revitalizing turgid, inefficient and corrupt institutions,
2. The impact of Glasnost;
a, Glasnost and intellectuals; Glasnost has had the
greatest impact in the realm of ideas, particularly in culture,
journalism, and the treatment of historical and legal issues,
This has led many to conclude that a major aim of glasnost is to
energize intellectuals for the coming modernization drive and to
win their allegiance to counterbalance the opposition of
rank-and-file Party apparatchiks,
b, Glasnost and the average citizen; Glasnost is also aimed
at reaching the average Soviet citizen^. As Ambassador Hartman
put it at the Commission's glasnost hearing, the goal "is to
make everyone
from the man in the street to artists and
scientists
feel that they have an important contribution to
make to Soviet society," Thus limited elections have been
planned for the workplace and the Party, Some individual
economic enterprise has been allowed, There is even evidence *
that organized citizens' groups may be tolerated,
3, The limits of Glasnost: Glasnost, however, has its limits,
Criticism of the Party or its leadership remains out of bounds,
The limits serve as a reminder as to the extent that glosnost
remains controlled from the top,
The Elements of Glosnost
1. . The Media: Since the 27th Party Congress in early 1986, the
trend towards greater openness in the Soviet media has continued,
Some credit the embarrassing worldwide criticism of the Soviet
Union's inadequate and tardy media coverage of Chernobyl as
having a positive impact,
a - Media topics: Topics now discussed in the press include
corruption, drug abuse, health care, natural disasters, accidents, excessive censorship, prostitution .and what some have
called the moral crisis of Soviet society, The press has been
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somewhat more candid about nationality tensions, reporting the
riots in Alma Ata, Reports on Afghanistan, once described only
in terms of the righteousness of the cause and the valor of
Soviet troops, now occasionally admttj the extent of resistance
to Soviet occupation,
b, Media participation; Public opinion is finding more
expression in print; this even includes popular and official
resistance to glasnost. Lively letters are now being published,
Even columns by Westerners such as Richard Pipes and Kenneth
Adelman have been published, with accompanying rebuttals by
Soviet
officials, One test of glasnost wi*I come when the
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Kremlin decides whether to allow a group of recently released
political prisoners to publish a periodical of news and opinion
called "Glasnost,"
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c - Television; Television has also proven to be a valuable
forum for disseminating new ideas and questioning old ways,
Speaker of the House Jim Wright appeared on Soviet TV during his
trip to Moscow and was viewed widely throughout the Soviet Union,
d, Jamming; One significant media development of late is
that the Soviet jamming of Voice of America has apparently
ended, However, this was coupled with intensified jamming of
Radio Liberty, which broadcast programs sharply critical of
Soviet failings, Earlier this year the Soviets stopped jamming
the BBC Russian-language broadcasts,
2- Culture; Glasnost«has had a major impact on Soviet culture/
particularly in literature and the arts, In all areas the
boundaries of censorship are under scrutiny, previously censored
items are beginning to emerge, and the cultural unions are
electing more daring leadership,
a, The liberalization of culture; Various books and films
critical of Stalinism are being released, Boris Pasternak's
famous novel, Dr. Zhivago, reportedly will soon be published,
and Pasternak himself has been posthumously restored to
memtership in the Union of Writers, A number of innovative
plays with unconventional themes have been produced recently,
More Western films will be allowed in, And cultural emigres
once scorned -- 'such as dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and director
Yuri Lyubimov -- are being viewed in a softer light,
b, Limits; Numerous writers are still banned, and selfcensorship remains, Rumors that some of Solzhenitsyn's works
would be published proved to be false,
3« History; Historical figures such as Trotsky and Khrushchev
have been mentioned for the first time~tr-in years, while Stalin
and Brezhnev are expected to face more criticism.
i Human Rights; Glasnost has not had a significant impact on
human rights, despite some positive gestures,
a, Positive signs; There have be'£n some positive developments
in human rights, but these have largely been gestures, They
include the release of 140 political prisoners in February; the
resolution of various humanitarian cases; slightly increasing
Jewish and German emigration; the disciplinary action taken
against several KGB agents in Ukraine for abuse of power; a new
willingness to meet with Western human rights groups to discuss
the issue; and the promise that major portions of the Soviet
criminal code are under review,
b, Limits: Major human rights violation remain, Despite
the prisoner releases, perhaps thousands are still confined,
Religious rights continue to be violated, Emigration, despite
increasing numbers, is still severely limited -- and evidence
suggests that the newly published emigration law will ultimately
tighten restrictions, Psychiatric abuse has not abated. The
legal system and the KGB remain immune to real criticism, Due
process and legal guarantees are largely unknown,
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Opposition to Glasnost
Press reports in the West indicate tha~t there is significant
opposition to Gorbachev and glasnost. Those with the most to '
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lose tend to be most opposed,
1. Who is opposed; Although Gorbachev downplays the extent of
the opposition, opponents seem to include a wide range of Soviet
citizens, Already Gorbachev has had to back away from plans to
reduce privileges enjoyed by the nomenklatura, the ruling class,
Local officials fearful of losing perquisites have also dug in,
The imposition of national quality controls may mean lower wages
for workers, The military has also lost some prestige,
2. Gorbachev's dilemma; With so many constituencies apparently
opposed to glasnost, Gorbachev may have to slow down the pace of
reform, But from the opposite direction he faces pressure from
the intelligentsia, which wants significant reform. Gorbachev
himself prefers more rapid change and has attacked what he calls
the "entrenched bureaucracy" for its resistance, Thus he faces
a complex of polarized constituencies and interests.
Glasnost and the West
Experts believe that glasnost is motivated by internal needs,
and the West should not tailor policy to influence it, There
are, however, opportunities for the West,
1, Opportunities; in East-West relations, arms, and human rights,
a « East-West; Under glasnost the Kremlin has undergone some
important changes, Soviet leaders now speak of cooperation and
partnership with the West, This could lead to a lowering of
psychological barriers between leaders of East and West.
b, Arms; Gorbachev may seek tangible foreign policy break­
throughs -- including an arms accord -- to strengthen his
position at home,
Despite denials, the 0c oviets are concerned
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with how glasnost plays in the West, The i«est should continue
to push for greater compliance with human rights commitments,
The Soviets want to show off glasnost at a Helsinki humanitarian
meeting in Moscow, As the West has made clear, this can only
come about after significant human rights progress is made,
West creates hopes or
2, Traps; The biggest trap is if the
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illusions about glasnost that could distort policy or divert us
from human rights concerns,