I intend to focus on the treatment of minority populations within Eastern Europe before and after 1989. I will focus on each country individually, and then try to establish a broader pattern of how minority populations were dealt with and are being dealt within Eastern Europe. Several questions must be asked here. First, did the communist systems of Eastern Europe provide equality for all its citizens, regardless of their ethnic affiliations, or did they discriminate and abuse minorities? Secondly, how were minority populations treated after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe? The main question is; under which form of government were minorities generally treated most fairly?
Archive for the ‘Mark’ Category
My Research Topic
Friday, November 2nd, 2007Populations, Families and Households
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007What this chart seems to indicate is that abortion rates in Czechoslovakia dropped dramatically after the fall of a communist system under which women were allowed to receive abortions. After the fall of the communist regime, it appears that more conservative abortion laws were passed, leading to a drop in abortion rates. The chart also shows a sharp decline in the Czech birthrates as time passed under the reign of the communists. The decline continued after the fall of communism due to a lack of incentives to have children. Only now, with the rise of a more sensible system of governing in the Czech Republic, is the birthrate beginning to increase again. This chart could be interpreted in a variety of ways, but it seems to me that the better the living conditions and the economy are in a given nation, the higher the birthrate will be. This conclusion has many exceptions, and it should be noted that my conclusion only applies to European nations.
Tudjman Speech
Thursday, September 27th, 2007It seems to me that Tudjman’s speech is lacking in several respects. Though it is certainly true that the population of Croatia was in decline, he fails to mention that the populations of European nations such as Russia and Italy were in decline as well. Other populations in European nations would also have been declining if not for higher immigration rates. It is quite possible that he dismissed this point due to his xenophobic viewpoint. In addition, he also fails to mention that families in Croatia naturally felt far less inclined to have children in such a wartorn nation. Under such circumstances, it would be absurd to suggest that the children of Croatia would be any better off than their parents. Many of the statistics that Tudjman uses are also rather misleading. It appears that he was intentionally exaggerating the problem in order to promote his own extremist, nationalistic vision. His aim was to instill fear in the people so that his proposals involving government solutions would be accepted. He never suggests that immigration should be encouraged.
9/25/07 Class Blog
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007What is justice in post-communist Eastern Europe?
Many people consider the notion of justice in post-communist Eastern Europe to be about prosecuting and punishing those who cooperated with the communist regimes that controlled the Eastern bloc. Those who fell victim to the authoritarian and oppressive policies of these regimes are especially intent on seeing justice meeted out. However, it is important for one to consider the options that those who cooperated with the regime really had during the time of communist rule. Some felt compelled to cooperate, for if they did not, there was always the risk that harm would come to themselves and their families. Punishing those who had no choice but to cooperate does not qualify as justice. On the other hand, those who voluntarily went out of their way to terrorize and exploit people under the forced rule of these regimes should be brought to trial and prosecuted. It is only fair that those who chose to committ heinous acts without being coerced into doing so should be considered criminals and found guilty for their respective crimes.
Wikipedia Edit: Brezhnev Doctrine
Sunday, September 16th, 2007I would appreciate any comments on how I might further improve this entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brezhnev_Doctrine
Mark Lader
Thursday, August 30th, 2007Hi, my name is Mark Lader and I am majoring in history here at GMU and focusing mainly on issues pertaining to the Cold War. I am a senior, and I intend to graduate by the end of this year. My home is very close to GMU, in Alexandria, Virginia, though I actually live in a suite here at Liberty Square.