Revolution #178, October 4, 2009

EVERYTHING YOU’VE BEEN TOLD ABOUT COMMUNISM IS WRONG
CAPITALISM IS A FAILURE, REVOLUTION IS THE SOLUTION

Think you know about communism and capitalism? Then take this quiz...and think again.

1. During the Mao years from 1949-1976, life expectancy
1. got worse, declining from 58 years to 52 years.
2. improved greatly, doubling from 32 to 65 years.
3. stayed the same at 58 years.
4. there is no data.
2. Mass protest occurred throughout the world in the 1960s. Which was the only government that encouraged criticism and rebellion against people in power carrying out oppressive and elitist policies?
1. U.S.
2. France
3. China
4. Australia
3. In 1949, when China’s revolution took place, only about 15% of the people could read or write. When Mao died in 1976, the literacy rate was about
1. 80%
2. 60%
3. 40%
4. Mao was anti-intellectual and didn’t care if the people could read or write.
4. In the last 20 years, governments in the Third World opened up their economies to high-tech agribusiness, bought grain and food goods on the world market instead of producing it themselves, and exported specialty agricultural products. These were policy prescriptions of the U.S. and other major capitalist powers, and of the IMF/World Bank. What is the situation today?
1. World output of food has kept ahead of population growth and hunger has been reduced.
2. The growth rate of food production has actually fallen below population growth and the number of hungry in the world is now at a historic high of 1 billion.
3. There has been no change in the situation since 1990.
4. Hunger has fallen because of Western aid programs to poor countries.
5. In which of the following countries was the expected social role of women in the 1950s to be mothers who did domestic chores and to be subordinate to men. (Hint: there is more than one right answer.)
1. India
2. Japan
3. U.S.
4. China
6. Before the Holocaust, the majority of the world’s Jews lived in east-central Europe. What was the only country in this region during the 1930s and World War 2 where Jews were not persecuted, deported, or exterminated—and where official government policy was to outlaw anti-Semitism and protect the rights and safety of Jews?
1. Poland
2. Soviet Union
3. Romania
4. Hungary
7. In 1927, with government backing and resources, a massive campaign was launched to free women from having to wear the veil that had been forced on them for centuries and to empower them to challenge traditional gender roles. Where was this?
1. Egypt
2. Morocco
3. Turkey
4. Soviet Union
8. When asked publicly if the death of half a million children from economic strangulation of a country following an invasion was justifiable—this government leader replied, “This is a very hard choice, but we think the price is worth it.” Who was this person?
1. Adolph Hitler’s foreign minister
2. Joseph Stalin’s foreign minister
3. Bill Clinton’s secretary of state
4. Slobadan Milosevic’s foreign minister

• Answers
• PDF

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