AH Challenge: Premier Isaac Asimov

CCA · Dec 4, 2006

The challenge if you choose to accept it is to make Isaac Asimov Premier of the Soviet Union sometime during the 2oth Century.

Is this even possible?

What are the effects of an Asimovite Presidency?

Bonus points if he still writes sci fi

David S Poepoe · Dec 5, 2006

Maybe he will (at some time) be succeeded by Ilyena Vasilievna Mironov, the first female Soviet Premier.

Smaug · Dec 5, 2006

:l I like some of his books,,,,

Doctor What · Dec 5, 2006

Foreword from the The Life and Times of Premier Asimov

Born to Jewish millers in 1920, Исаак Озимов (Isaac Asimov as he is known to the Western World), it appeared that he had nothing to to look forward to except for a modest life continuing the family tradition. Indeed, according to sources, the family was so desperate for escape from their dire straits that they were actually contemplating immigrating to America in 1923 (with the idea, according to one source, of smuggling baby Isaac in a bag across the border).

One is led to wonder what the world would have been like had they succeeded.

In any case, fortune smiled upon the Asimov family when teachers at his school noted Isaac's keen intellect and creative abilities. Due to his high grades (and enhanced by the many glowing recommendations from his teachers), Isaac Asimov quickly moved up the academic ladder and had a promising future waiting for him in university.

Then WW2 came along.

Drafted into the army, Asimov witnessed the carnage and horrors of war first (a factor that some say molded his beliefs on war and diplomacy for the rest of his life). After the war, the Soviet Union desperately needed to rebuild. It desperately needed bright, creative minds to help it catch up to the rest of the world. It desperately needed young articulate individuals who can make sense of difficult subjects and concepts and explain it to others. And it desperately needed patriots who wanted to protect the Soviet Union from ever suffering such carnage again.

All three could be found in Captain Isaac Asimov.

Of keen intellect (he obtained his first PhD in 1949; his second two years later), it is rumoured that he played a small but nevertheless important role in the Soviet nuclear test at Semipalantinsk in August 1949.

'Retiring' from the Army in 1953, Dr. Asimov become a professor at various small but distinguished universities in the Soviet Union. Being a brillant intellectual and hero of the Motherland in the Soviet Union in the 1950's was considered the pinnacle of achievement (comparable to being a Rock Star in England or a Sports hero in America) and as long as one gave no indication of disloyalty to the State, certain 'idiocyncracies' and 'eccentricities' were 'unofficially' accepted by the upper echelons of the political structure (made far easier after Stalin's death in 1953, no doubt).

Doctor Asimov had two. One was a roving eye for the ladies. The other was writing science fiction stories.

His first novel 'Nightfall' (1955) which has been described as one of "the most famous science-fiction stories of all time" put him on the literary map. Indeed, a copy of this novel was smuggled out of the Soviet Union in 1956 and translated into English. By 1958 this landmark novel was influencing not only writers in the Soviet Union but even in the land of their enemy--America.

Nightfall" is an archetypical example of social science fiction, a term coined by Asimov himself to describe a new trend in the 1950s, led by authors including Asimov (U.S.S.R.) and Heinlein (U.S.), away from gadgets and space opera and toward speculation about the human condition.

A prolific writer, Asimov completed two trilogies (Foundation and I, Robot) in a space of 5 years, further enshrining his fame.

But his biggest coup was in his public denouncing of the Soviet 'scientist' Lysenko. Lysenko was considered a crank by many other scientists in the Soviet Union but his former close ties with Stalin made him (supposedly) immune to criticism.

Asimov had very little patience with what he called 'superstitious and ignorant fools' and--due to his connections and status--was one of the few scientists who could publicly denounce Lysenk--which he did on August 19, 1958.

He is responsible for the shameful backwardness of Soviet biology and of genetics in particular, for the dissemination of pseudo-scientific views, for adventurism, for the degradation of learning, and for the defamation, firing, arrest, even death, of many genuine scientists

The political fallout from this statement was extraordinary. The Soviet press was soon filled with anti-Lysenkoite articles and appeals for the restoration of scientific methods to all fields of biology and agricultural science. Lysenko was removed from his post as director of the Institute of Genetics at the Academy of Sciences and restricted to an experimental farm in Moscow's Lenin Hills (the Institute itself was soon dissolved).

Asimov, however, paid a price for this. While Asimov no doubt saved the prestige of Soviet science, he had publicly mocked an important figure in Soviet politics--and by extension, everyone who had supported Lysenko. While everyone was quickly distancing themselves from any contact with Lysenko, an example had to be made of Asimov lest his actions inspire other scientists and writers to start denouncing other important figures and Asimov resigned from his position at the university due to 'family issues'.

His science career was effectively dead.

However he was at heart a patriot and when Khrushchev himself asked him to become the new science advisor in 1960, he leaped at the chance.

After Khrushchev’s ouster in October 1964, Brezhnev retained Asimov on the science committee. The two became close friends and Asimov soon proved to be as adept at the political field as he was in the science field, cultivating numerous friends and colleagues and allies. When Brezhnev himself died in 1982, he was replaced with Yuri Andropov. When Andropov died in February 1984, after 16 months in office, Chernenko was elected to replace him, despite concerns over his health. Chernenko himself proved to be a short-lived leader and died a mere 13 months later.

Upon the death of Konstantin Chernenko, Isaac Asimov, at age 65, was elected General Secretary of the Communist Party on 11 March 1985, defeating Mikhail Gorbachev who was considered the other favourite.

He became the Party's first leader to have been born after the Russian Revolution of 1917. As de facto ruler of the Soviet Union, he tried to reform the stagnating Communist Party and the state economy by introducing glasnost ("openness"), perestroika ("restructuring"), and uskoreniye ("acceleration", of economic development), which were launched at the 27th Congress of the CPSU in February 1986.

His attempts at reform helped to end the Cold War, and also ended the political supremacy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and dissolved the Soviet Union. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.

This is his story....

kilngirl · Dec 5, 2006

Will there be more to follow, good Doctor?

CCA · Dec 5, 2006

Doctor What said:
Foreword from the The Life and Times of Premier Asimov

Excellent!

Hendryk · Dec 5, 2006

Doctor What said:
Foreword from the The Life and Times of Premier Asimov

Does the USSR stand a chance at successful reform in TTL?

Mr_ Bondoc · Dec 5, 2006

Some Ideas to Consider....

-Maybe you can have Yevgeny Zamyatin (author of We) serve as one of the founders of the Soviet Revolution, becoming a Communist Party Secretary in 1921, prior to the death of V.I. Lenin...

-Eric Arthur Blair (OTL's George Orwell) is elected to the office of Prime Minister, as the first post-war Prime Minister for Great Britain in 1948. Unfortunately, this term was short-lived due to health conditions. He died in 1950, shortly after his "Big Brother" speech, which warned of the dangers of Soviet expansionism and totalitarianism...

-Arthur C. Clarke could be elected to the House of Commons in 1956, and easily become Prime Minister in 1962, with his policy of "Childhood's End" for Great Britain. He is known mainly for his advocacy and formation of the Ministry of Space...

-Admiral Robert A. Heinlein and General Gene Roddenberry, USAF were considered "war hawks" throughout the Cold War, often calling for massive reforms and changes in the military structure. General Keith Laumer, USAF would later charge the "War Hawks" with attempting to cause WWIII in 1968...

-Starting in 1964, Ursala K. Le Guin leads the women's rights movement in Berkeley, California, sparking national attention. She is known for her book The Dispossessed (1974) which detailed the exploitation of women in America. She would only be surpassed by her apprentice, Margaret Atwood, who in 1985, led the "Handmaid's Tale" march against the Christian Coalition in Washington D.C....

-After the Vietnam War, Joe Haldeman was appointed to the Bush administration to help reform the military, launching the "Forever Peace" initiative in 1990, which helped to equip the U.S. military for peacekeeping operations...

Max Sinister · Dec 5, 2006

I want John Brunner as British PM.

Hendryk · Dec 5, 2006

Max Sinister said:
I want John Brunner as British PM.

What about Arthur Clarke?

Doctor What · Dec 5, 2006

kilngirl said:
Will there be more to follow, good Doctor?

Possibly--the internet filter at work seems to be under the impression that this site is some kind of gay porn site (gee-I wonder how it came to that conclusion?

) so my connection to it at work seems to be a bit sporatic--meaning that I need to find other ways to amuse myself. I think I'm going to focus on more writing.

I rather like the idea of Asimov as Premier--might actually do something more with this.

Sargon · Dec 5, 2006

Very well done Doc, and quite plausible. Would we see Asimov live a little longer in this TL...he could set up some sort of foundation promoting science after his political career for example. (yes, I realise the irony in that, but it's a serious suggestion).

Have to chuckle at your work's filtering software

It's being seduced by the gaysexual innuendo around here....

Sargon

A Timeline of mine: The Roman Emperor Who Lost His Nose

Midgard · Dec 5, 2006

Doctor What said:
Foreword from the The Life and Times of Premier Asimov

Interesting scenario... but I would imagine that Asimov would do better as a Premier than Gorbachev, for a number of reasons. For one, Gorbachev did not possess Asimov's intellect and education, not to mention noticeable acumen of any kind - worse, he was a wrong guy in the wrong place. I would imagine that Asimov's course, had he been in Gorbachev's place, would have been more cautious, and as such, the reforms would have been slower, but less disastrous.

Part of the reason "perestroika" did not work was because it was too much, too soon, and Gorbachev was a weak leader who could not control what he has unleashed. Given a stronger leader more in touch with realities, and more adept both at politics and leadership, the Soviet Union would have still been with us today, with perhaps only the Baltics actually leaving. So, a good idea, the only thing is, I think with Asimov (hell, with anyone more competent than Gorbachev, which shouldn't be that hard) in charge, the outcome of USSR would have been different.

Thande · Dec 5, 2006

I like the Lysenko idea...

Midgard · Dec 5, 2006

Something I was just talking with Hendryk about... figured out it could make sense in the context of this discussion as well.

The problem with Gorbachev was, he was never formally educated, and was originally promoted based more on his adherence to the party line than any particular personal accomplishments. He had the right concept that things needed to change, but had no real ideas on how to change them - my impression is that the thought that USSR might break up has never truly crossed his mind until it happened.

A more thorough knowledge of economics theory would be needed to really get out of the rut the USSR found itself in - I'm saying this as a professional who is making a living in the financial world for the past 8 1/2 years. Gorbachev did not possess that in the remotest, and had no knowledge base to fall back on, or experienced advisors that could compensate for it.

With someone of Asimov's scientific background, I can imagine there being more caution, and more understanding of the processes that drive economies, and that drive masses of people - I think that the man who wrote "Foundation" in both OTL and TTL would have at least some understanding of both to much greater extent than Gorbachev. Therefore, IMO it makes more sense that USSR does not fall apart with a leader even marginally more competent than Gorbachev himself, who either understands the economics well enough not to try sudden or too prompt changes, or who can control the underlings a bit better and not let them impede the reforms.

Max Sinister · Dec 5, 2006

Was any of his predecessors (Andropov, Chernenko) more than a glorified apparatchik? And where was he supposed to get an education about economy? This was the Soviet Union, it was the system's fault, not his.

People always seem to forget that someone way worse could've been in power instead. If Honecker, or Ceaucescu had been in charge instead, Eastern Europe might be in worse condition.

Midgard · Dec 5, 2006

Max Sinister said:
Was any of his predecessors (Andropov, Chernenko) more than a glorified apparatchik? And where was he supposed to get an education about economy? This was the Soviet Union, it was the system's fault, not his.

Simple common sense - it is not as if a highly intelligent individual with several Ph.D.s that hangs around the highest circles of Soviet power, has a lot of influence, and much political acumen would not be able to add two and two and decide for himself that not only the Soviet system is flawed, but that there are better alternatives. Unlike Gorbachev, who relied too much on homegrown "know-it-alls" and unscrupulous and rather useless foreign advisors who either did not understand the situation in USSR, or who were after quick buck themselves, I think a more competent leader would have kept more control over the process, and had more of an understanding of how things work. My point is - he doesn't have to be an economics expert in this case, but as long as he has the basic understanding of things in principle, which is frankly not too hard, it is well within a competent leader's capabilities to go through a transition.

People always seem to forget that someone way worse could've been in power instead. If Honecker, or Ceaucescu had been in charge instead, Eastern Europe might be in worse condition.

True - at least he managed to have the breakup occur peacefully. But then, with a better leader, there would have been no breakup in first place.

Max Sinister · Dec 5, 2006

I think no leader could've prevented the Baltic states becoming independent, and Caucasia would be difficult too.

As I said, it's doubtful whether the system would've allowed a great leader(tm) to come to power. Such heads will be cut off early, the old "mushroom method". And without anyone in the SU doing MBAs, it's also doubtful that anyone could've done better. (Hmm, how did the Chinese introduce the necessary knowledge when they started their reforms? Somehow I guess the Chinese abroad were involved, but I dunno.)

Midgard · Dec 5, 2006

Max Sinister said:
I think no leader could've prevented the Baltic states becoming independent, and Caucasia would be difficult too.

As I said, it's doubtful whether the system would've allowed a great leader(tm) to come to power. Such heads will be cut off early, the old "mushroom method". And without anyone in the SU doing MBAs, it's also doubtful that anyone could've done better. (Hmm, how did the Chinese introduce the necessary knowledge when they started their reforms? Somehow I guess the Chinese abroad were involved, but I dunno.)

Baltics I'm pretty sure would have had to go - possibly as a price for non-interference by the outsiders. The Caucasus states, a different story. Basically a strong leader would be able to frighten them into compliance.

Now, consider that I am not talking about a great leader - merely a thoroughly competent one, or, rather, not incompetent like Gorbie. Basically, they needed someone like Putin at the time - with some reform in mind, but also more authoritarian than Gorbie ever was, and smart enough not to push too many things through at once. I don't think Putin is a great leader by any stretch, but he is competent, and that's all USSR really needed. Gorbachev, he was incompetent, and that was where the difference lay.

Note that the Soviets would have still been able to use foreign experience, foreign education for carefully selected elite who would superwise economic transition, etc. Slower reform is the key here, and combined with the common sense effort like I've described, it would have easily worked. Consider that while the Soviets did not have American-style MBAs, they DID have economics programs, economics Ph.D.s, and such... my mother's got one, for example. So, there is a cadre of people that, with some re-education, and with leadership educated in Western methods abroad, could possibly turn the corner economically given enough time.

Glen · Dec 5, 2006

Doctor What said:
Possibly--the internet filter at work seems to be under the impression that this site is some kind of gay porn site (gee-I wonder how it came to that conclusion? ) so my connection to it at work seems to be a bit sporatic--meaning that I need to find other ways to amuse myself. I think I'm going to focus on more writing.

I rather like the idea of Asimov as Premier--might actually do something more with this.

Oh, I think I will have to blatantly steal some of this for my Transhumanist Soviet Union timeline!!!

back to work i go.....