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"In communist societies everyone had very similar income" I really don't think that was the case. In a practical sense, communist regimes were the extreme endg

• js8 11y ago
  > Those at the very top of the chain lived like kings, while those at the bottom starved. I don't think that was always the case, in particular, I doubt it was the case in Czechoslovakia. Being a member of UV KSC (board of directors of the Communist party, the central organ) had special benefits such as better access to health care, goods imported from the West and having an american-sized house, but they were quite modest compared to benefits of today's top American CEOs. And in fact, the best paid people out there were probably some popular singers, who had maybe 50x the average salary. Typical director of state enterprise had maybe 5-10x the average salary. At the bottom, people didn't starve even if they made trouble (that meant a prison sentence and a menial job). There are people who disagree with this assessment, but I have never seen a good evidence for the claim they would "live as kings". I agree there was inequality, but it wasn't so much monetary as it was in power and status. It was probably one of the reasons why there wasn't a bloody revolution. Everybody, even the top officials wanted a "better" system.