To Survive the Holocaust

Contra contributor Marek Zyto is a Polish Jew who fled the Germans to Ukraine and the Kuban plain in southern Russia. Now he tells his story, how he got away from nazi persecution only in order to fall victim of Communism. He experienced the Communist system and found that it was no better than National Socialism. In the Soviet Union he worked as a farm labourer at a state farm (sovchos) and served for a short time in the Red Army. After the war he returned to his native Poland and the city of Kielce, and then to Sweden. His story is now published as a book by Contra publishers.

Safety in Ignalina

Contra publisher Tommy Hansson has visited Lithuania and the nuclear power plant at Ignalina. The plant is of the same type as the reactors at Chornobyl in Ukraine (of the 1986 disaster). Now the legal responsibilty for the giant two reactor plant is handled by the Lithuanian Energy Inspection (VATESI). Close to 100 million dollars have been invested by Swedish aid in order to improve the safety at the Ignalina plant, located only 400 miles from the Swedish coast. In addition OECD coutries have invested in nucelar safety in carbon reactors (like Chornobyl and Ignalina). One aspect of the safety problem is that the reactors lack the concrete enclosure that is standard for all Western reactors.

Optimism in Lithuania

Lithuania has for a long time been regarded as the lingering cousin in the Baltic trio of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In spite of the fact that Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to declare its independence, soon Latvia and especially Estonia moved ahead and took the lead in privatization, market economy and freedom. For a few years even the reformed Communist party got back to power in Lithuania. But now that is history. The anti-communists once more run Lithuania and the market economy has started to create its miracles. Only during the last year the Lithuanian economy has taken giant leaps forward and it should be noted that the population of Lithuania is approximately equal to the combined population of Latvia and Estonia. Foreign investments are increasing rapidly and a new optimism is developing.

“The War Criminal”

Contra publisher Tommy Hansson recently released a new novel, called “The War Criminal”. The basic idea of the novel is that an old war criminal is hiding in Sweden and the story covers the efforts of a young journalist to find this War Criminal.

Arthur Koestler

In the series “Heroes of the Cold War” we turn to Arthur Koestler. Kostler, born in Budapest, early turned into a convinced marxist. In the early 1930s he made “the guided tour” of the Soviet Union and wrote articles praising the Soviet system. He was a war correspondent in the Spanish civil war and soon afterwards turned into an eloquent anti-communist.

India – not a “Tiger”

India is not a “Tiger”. In spite of a population of one billion, India has an economic strength of approximately the same magnitude as Switzerland…

The most beautiful name

The most beautiful name of all Contra subscribers is that of Martin Contra. The name can be traced to Lombardy in Italy 400 years ago, when Martin’s ancestors emigrated to Slovakia. In 1968 Martin Contra escaped from Czechoslovakia by swimming across the border river to Austria. He was successful because he had served as a border guard and knew the weaknesses of the system. Since Mr Contra arrived in Sweden in 1968, he has been active as a musician and a music producer.