Perestroika
As defined by the Communist Party Plenum of Jan 1987
Excerpts from the Original Electronic Text at the web site of the.
"Perestroika is the decisive defeat of the processes of stagnation,
the destruction of the braking mechanism, the creation of a
reliable and effective mechanism for increasing the pace of the
social-economic development of society. The main idea of our
strategy is to unite the achievements of the scientific-technical
revolution with a planned economy and to bring into action the
entire potential of socialism.
"Perestroika is the buttress for the vital creativity of the
masses; it is the all-sided development of democracy and socialist
self-direction, the encouragement of initiative and independence,
the strengthening of discipline and order, the widening of
glasnost, criticism and self-criticism in all spheres of social
life; it is a greatly heightened respect for the value and worth of
the individual.
"Perestroika is the steady elevation of the role of intensive
factors in the development of the Soviet economy, the
reestablishment and development of the Leninist principles of
democratic centralism in the direction of the national economy,
universal introduction of economic methods of management, rejection
of administration by command, assuring the transfer of all levels
of the economy to the principles of complete financial self-
sufficiency and new forms of the organization of labor and
production, the utmost support for innovation and socialist
enterprise.
"Perestroika is a decisive turn to science, a businesslike
partnership of practice with science in order to achieve optimal
final results, the ability to place any initiative on a firm
scientific basis, the readiness and fervent desire of scientists to
actively support the course of the Party for renewing society; at
the same time, it is concern about the development of science, the
growth of its cadres, and its active participation in the process
of reform.
"Perestroika is a priority on the development of the social sphere,
a more complete satisfaction of the demands of the Soviet people
for good working conditions, everyday life, rest, education, and
medical services; it is a constant concern for the spiritual wealth
and culture of every individual and of society in general; it is
the ability to combine the solution of wide-ranging, cardinal
problems of society with the solution of on-going questions of
concern to people.
"Perestroika is the energetic liberation of society from the
distortions of socialist morality, the consistent realization of
the principles of social justice; it is the unity of word and
deed, of rights and responsibilities; it is the elevation of
honest, high-quality labor, and overcoming the equalizing
tendencies in terms of pay and consumer items.
"The final goal of perestroika, it seems is clear: a profound
renewal of all aspects of the nation's life, imparting to socialism
the most contemporary forms of social organizations, and the most
complete disclosure of the humanitarian character of our society in
all its decisive aspects--economic, social-political, and moral."
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