Ana wasn't amused. "But there is a difference in motivation. I fight to
improve my country. You fight for the United States and the West."
"I can't see much difference. We're both trying to overthrow a vicious
bureaucracy." He laughed again. "You hate them as much as I do."
"I don't know." She frowned, trying to find words, dropped English and
spoke in Russian. "The Communists made mistakes, horrible mistakes
and--especially under Stalin--were vicious beyond belief to achieve what
they wanted. But they did achieve it. They built our country into the
world's strongest."
"If you're so happy with them, why are you trying to eliminate the
Commies? You don't make much sense."
She shook her head, as though it was he who made no sense. "They are
through now, no longer needed. A hindrance to progress." She hesitated,
then, "When I was a student I remember being so impressed by something
written by Nehru that I memorized it. He wrote it while in a British
jail in 1935. Listen." She closed her eyes and quoted:
"_Economic interests shape the political views of groups and classes.
Neither reason nor moral considerations override these interests.
Individuals may be converted, they may surrender their special
privileges, although this is rare enough, but classes and groups do not
do so. The attempt to convert a governing and privileged class into
forsaking power and giving up its unjust privileges has therefore always
so far failed, and there seems to be no reason whatever to hold that it
will succeed in the future._"