I skimmed through this paper at lunch and enjoyed it, especially given that I'm living in a former soviet republic (ukraine). Some interesting examples of social engineering. I'd like to see what Marc T has to say given his recent paper addressing the subject (10 questions).

Living in Ukraine for a couple of years, I'm fascinated with how Ukrainians, who clearly suffered under Soviet rule at the same time often pine for it and look back in nostalgia. I know someone, who like many, lost her entire savings when the soviet union collapsed, but still wishes for some of the centrally planned and executed services (like education and health) that were present in the Soviet times.

The author, Olga Oliker, who appears to be either Russian or Ukrainian, sees and draws parallels between the Soviet and recent efforts by the US and British. She sees the soviet efforts as an attempt to "bring to all what they saw as a better system of government". You can argue and poke holes into what the British and Americans have done, but I can't swallow this from what I understand of Soviet attitudes, beliefs and methods. From what I've heard and seen, it was a systematic effort to wipe clean the subject society and replace it with the communist system (that they could then control). It was done with extreme brutality and with every effective means. Frankly, I don't see a lot of parallels with the current American and British efforts.

Of course, from a Russian perspective, and I can't claim to understand this, it may appear that the Soviet occupation and counter-insurgency efforts were, in fact, just the Russian equivalents of other counter-insurgency efforts or occupations. It just doesn't work with me.