第5章 克里姆林宫：铁幕1985/幕间：反腐与改革 クレムリン：鉄のカーテン1985／舞台裏：汚職防止と改革（2/2）

人々は、政府は汚職を根絶しようとしており、この問題に協力したほうが国の利益になると言われています。

このニュースは燎原の火のように広がっていった。 党員、青年共産主義者同盟のメンバー、開拓者、学生、労働者、人々はこの組織についてもっと知りたいと思った。右寄りの人はパニックになり、左寄りの人は祝福した。

邪魔にならなかったのは、医師や党員本人だけだった。

1985年8月25日

クレムリンの中で、コーキンがドアを叩いてロマノフに言った。「同志総書記、在米大使館からサマンサ・リード・スミスが父親と一緒に飛行機事故で亡くなったという知らせが入りました。

ロマノフは、経済特別委員会の経済改革報告書を置いて、「サマンサ・リード・スミス？ アンドロポフに手紙を書いたアメリカ人女性？」

「はい。 その報告書は大使から送られてきたばかりだ。」

コルキンは報告書をロマノフに手渡し、ロマノフは報告書をめくりながら「飛行機事故か」と言った。 CIAが計画したという可能性は？ トリホス将軍を暗殺した時のように。」

「それはありえないことだ、同志よ。 飛行機が墜落した場所の近くには激しい嵐がありましたが、他の飛行機がコースを外れたという報告はありません。 衝突の原因を調査する予定です。」

「私は、なぜそうしないのか分かりません。 それは事故だったが、アメリカ人はいつも我々にこんなことをしてくれるのに、なぜ彼らは同じことをしないのか？ パナマ危機やイラン危機がそれを証明している。 彼らは同じだ。」

「墜落の原因は、1週間以内に報告書が完成してから判明する。 それまでは声明は出さない」。

コルキンが去り、ロマノフは報告書を読み返していた。 突然、ドアをノックする音がして、コルキンが入ってきた。

彼はロマノフにトランジスタラジオを手渡して、\"これは同志、あなたに \"と言った。

「ありがとう」

ロマノフはラジオのチューニングをしてみて、「同志コルキン、コンピュータ部門が開発しているソ連製パーソナルコンピュータ「PK-01 LVOV」についてどう思うか？」

コルキンは、「同志よ、これはいいスタートだ」と答えた。 私たちの新世代のコンピュータは、彼らが必要とする機能をすべて果たすことができるでしょう。」

ロマノフはうなずきながら、「アメリカ、西ドイツ、日本の電子技術に数年遅れているので、追いつかなければならない。 人類には新たな技術革命が訪れており、母国が世界から遅れをとることを許してはならない」と述べた。

もちろん、PK-01に問題がないわけではありません。 コストが高すぎるので、もっと経済的になるように努力すべきだが、それが社会主義の代償だ。」

コーキンはうなずいて部屋を出た。ロマノフはため息をつきながら、ラジオをつけた。 ボタンを押すと、そこからパチパチと音がした。

「これはニュースキャスターの声です」

お酒を飲んでいたのか、言葉が不明瞭だったが、男性の声が聞こえてきた。

ロマノフはため息をつきながらラジオの電源を切り、テーブルの上に置いて、\"アメリカとはまだ何年も離れている。できればアメリカの技術に追いつくようにしたいものだ \"と言った。

2人はお互いに顔を見合わせた後、レポートに戻っていった。

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[chapter:The Kremlin: The Iron Curtain 1985/ Between the Scenes: Anti-Corruption and Reform]

Solomentsev, chairman of the Central Supervisory Commission of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, sat in the conference room as he looked solemnly at the report on the list of Soviet cadres arrested in the name of anti-corruption and embezzlement of state assets.

Within months of taking power, Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Romanov resumed Andropov\u0027s anti-corruption efforts, even more stringently. For the first time, he granted the Central Supervisory Commission independent investigative powers and mass dismissal of corrupt Soviet grassroots officials from their posts and party membership, earning him the nickname \u0027State Meat Grinder\u0027 among Soviet Communist Party members.

Romanov was much tougher in this regard than he was with the top corrupt Soviet cadres; it was in this way that the KGB and the Central Supervisory Department began their investigations into the corrupt top brass under Brezhnev.

Solomentsev was apprehensive about this; on the one hand, he did not want to die like Tzvigon, but on the other hand, he could not help but carry out an anti-corruption purge against the bureaucrats. He made a note of heeding the call of the people, to get rid of the population of bureaucrats who had for decades been feeding themselves at the expense of the sweat and blood of the masses.

After an hour, he looked up from the report and told those in the room:

\"It will be done.\"

KGB Chairman Bobkov nodded and said, \"The time has come for the Soviet to purge these corrupt elements, and while General Secretary Romanov wants a few years in prison for the vast majority of corrupt elements, some of the top brass must be sentenced heavily, such as former Azerbaijan First Secretary Aliyev.\" He pointed to the report. \"Take a look at this, and please report to me as soon as possible on how we will proceed against the entrenched bureaucratic corruption in the USSR.\"

After the meeting, Solomentsev kept mulling over the report. He would like to implement the program like the General Secretary had suggested, but he was not sure if they could successfully do it. The problem was that the average party member was always complaining, and he could not afford to have them protest.

Still, he had to do something. He knew he had to destroy the bureaucratic juggernauts in charge, but he was not sure if it could be done; would they fight back?

Meanwhile, Bobkov returned to the Kremlin to meet with Romanov, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. \"I may have found a solution to the bureaucrats, but it will be very difficult. We can\u0027t have the party members protesting either, fortunately we won\u0027t.\"He explained to his superior.

\"Go on.\"

\"The economists. I think we can use them.\" Bobkov explained. \"Once we have taken the leadership classes away, the average party member will fall in line. We just have to stage a little incident, a riot or something. Really put the screws to them.\"\"Let them help us with economic reform, and ordinary party members will now compete with the fear of being fired. We just need to stage a faked little event, a riot or something. Really pin the problem on the party members. Then, run an anti-corruption campaign.\"

Romanov thought about it and agreed, \"Yes, but we also have to make sure that the party members who replace them are our people, and that it doesn\u0027t interfere with the local movement.\"

\"no. Most of them are your people too, they just have the wrong ideas. We can even have some new people enter the party from the movement. It\u0027s a good idea right?\"

\"You\u0027re right, comrade. By the way, don\u0027t release the 800,000 psychiatric patients arrested during the Andropov period.\"

Bobkov hesitated for a moment and said, \"Comrade General Secretary, The release of these mentally ill people will cause security problems.\"

\"No, comrade. Those are different. You go and get me a report on the situation with the psychiatric patients. I will process them.\"

\"Yes, comrade.\"

\"Alright, I\u0027ll release the \u0027patients\u0027, and the hospitals can decide what to do with them. it won\u0027t be a problem.\"

The next day, the KGB spread an emergency order to all organizations regarding an upcoming anti-corruption investigation. All heads of department were told to assist in any way they can. They were also told to release the 800,000 Psychiatric patients, and to re-assign them to their original jobs as soon as possible.

The orders went out on the local radio and TV as well, with a reminder to bring identification and official documents.

It was explained that there is to be an investigation into a \"certain\" organization, but not named. It was explained that this certain organization uses their position to gain illegal advantages for themselves and the government.

And these are high Soviet officials and their children, who will be tried by the Supervisory Commission and the KGB in a special court. The psychiatric patients were supposed to be released, but the investigation requires them so they are to continue with their treatment in the hospitals.

The people were told that the government is trying to root out corruption, and it is better that they cooperate in this matter, for the good of the nation.

The news spread like wildfire. Party members, Komsomol members, Young Pioneers, students, workers, The people demanded to know more about this organization. Those with right-leaning tendencies started to panic, those with left-leaning tendencies celebrated.

The only people unperturbed were the doctors and the party members themselves.

August 25, 1985

Inside the Kremlin, Korkin knocked on the door and said to Romanov: \"Comrade General Secretary, word has come from our embassy in the United States that Samantha Reed Smith died in the plane crash along with her father.\"

Romanov put down the report on economic reforms of the Special Economic Committee and said, \"Samantha Reed Smith? The American girl who wrote to Andropov?\"

\"Yes. The written report was just sent by the ambassador.\"

Kolkin handed Romanov the written report, and Romanov flipped through it and said, \"A crash? Is it possible that the CIA planned it? Just like they did with the assassination of General Torrijos.\"

\"It doesn\u0027t seem likely comrade. While there was a severe storm near the location of the plane crash, no other planes were reported off course. The investigation will determine the cause of the crash.\"

\"I don\u0027t see why not. It was an accident, but the Americans always do things like this to us, so why not them too? The Panama and Iran crises proved that. They\u0027re the same.\"

\"The cause of the crash will be known when the report is completed in a week. Until then there will be no statement.\"

Kolkin left, and Romanov went back to reading the report. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Kolkin entered.

He handed Romanov a transistor radio and said: \"This is for you comrade.\"

\"Thanks.\"

Romanov tried tuning the radio and asked, \"Comrade Korkin, what do you think about the PK-01 LVOV, the Soviet personal computer being developed by the computer department?\"

Korkin answered, \"It\u0027s a good start comrade. Our new generation of computers will be able to perform all the functions required of them.\"

Romanov nodded and said, \"We are several years behind the electronic technology of the United States, West Germany & Japan and must catch up. Mankind will usher in a new technological revolution, and we must not allow our motherland to lag behind the world.\"

He paused and then added, \"Of course the PK-01 is not without its problems. The price is too high, and we should work to make it more economical, but that is the price of socialism.\"

Kolkin nodded and left the room. Romanov let out a sigh and then turned on the radio.He pressed the button and a crackling voice came through.

\"This is the voice of the news announcer.\"

A man\u0027s voice came through, though his words were slurred as if he had been drinking.

Romanov turned off the radio with a sigh, put it on the table and said, \"We are still a few years away from the U.S. I hope we can try to catch up with American technology.\"

The two men shared a knowing glance and then went back to their reports.