Back in 2011, some 10 years ago now, I had the pleasure and privilege of speaking with Oleg Atbashan, author of a book called Shakedown Socialism: Unions, Pitchforks, Collective Greed, the Fallacy of Economic Equality, and other Optical Illusions of "Redistributive Justice".

 

Oleg shared with me some startling personal recollections of life in Ukraine—and, by extension, anywhere in the former USSR—before the collapse of communism in Europe, during and after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the years following until he left Ukraine.

 

He also reflected on the circumstances, events and government policies that led to the Holodomor (the famine-genocide in Ukraine in 1932 and 1933) … and why in his view the western world is on the brink of repeating history from the darkest days of communism in eastern Europe.

 

It seemed a bit far-fetched 10 years ago… but today, maybe not so much.

 

That interview was recorded via Skype in days before today’s advanced recording devices and internet technology were readily available and affordable for independent broadcasters in home studios. So, apologies for the sound quality. I hope the content of this interview makes up for it. Ten years later, it is every bit as timely...if not more so.


To visit Oleg's website, and get an autographed copy of Shakedown Socialism, click here:


Here are affiliate links to Oleg's three books referenced at the end of the interview. If you use these links to purchase Oleg's book, you will be supporting both Oleg and Nash Holos. Amazon will send a (very small) commission to Nash Holos for promoting his book:


Shakedown Socialism. Link here.

Hotel USSR: Memoirs of a Soviet non-artist. Link here.

A Notebook for the Resident Socialist. Link here.


Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio airs in Vancouver Saturdays at 6pm PST on AM1320 (streaming at am1320.com) and in Nanaimo Wednesdays from 11am-12pm with Pawlina and from 12-12:30pm with Oksana (in Ukrainian) on CHLY 101.7fm (streaming at chly.ca).

Transcripts, information and more at the Nash Holos website here.


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