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> At the time of the October Revolution, Russia was a largely agrarian society, which henceforth industrialised and developed remarkably quickly under Stalinist

by wtbob 10y ago

> At the time of the October Revolution, Russia was a largely agrarian society, which henceforth industrialised and developed remarkably quickly under Stalinist Five-Year-Plans, in the midst of the Great Depression. However, it was still poor and barely industrialised when it was decimated by WWII. Despite this, it recovered to become a major world power that challenged the US during its peak. Apologists for the Soviet regime always like to bring up how quickly it developed, but they ignore a) that prior to the Great War Russia was actually quite advanced and b) how quick its development could have been with a market economy. Yes, Russia in 1984 was extremely advanced compared to Russia in 1919 — but the free world in 1984 was far more advanced than the free world in 1919.

turar 10y ago
a.) In 1919 Russia was not nearly as advanced as the US or Europe. b.) Unlike the US, Soviet Union came out of WW2 with cities destroyed, and 20% of its population killed, most of them able-bodied men in their prime. Yet, by 1984, the USSR had: - free universal healthcare - largely egalitarian society with very little inequality - free, excellent education system, from K through PhD - women treated equally in the workforce unlike the West - walkable cities with very good public transit What the free world had: - Start of Reagonomics and Thatcherism era - Plenty of cheap consumer goods to buy and waste - Fantastic entertainment industry - White flight and suburban sprawl - Beginning of War on Drugs, sponsorship of Islamic extremism in Afghanistan I guess my point is that one should probably define "advanced" before proceeding to discuss it.
- evilgenius134 10y ago
  >Equal Pay Act 1970 >National Health Service 1946-1948 >Defining Thatcherism as bad All before 1984. You can't take all the bad parts of the 'West', however you define it, and compare it with a single country.

by wtbob 10y ago

turar 10y ago

a.) In 1919 Russia was not nearly as advanced as the US or Europe. b.) Unlike the US, Soviet Union came out of WW2 with cities destroyed, and 20% of its population killed, most of them able-bodied men in their prime. Yet, by 1984, the USSR had: - free universal healthcare - largely egalitarian society with very little inequality - free, excellent education system, from K through PhD - women treated equally in the workforce unlike the West - walkable cities with very good public transit What the free world had: - Start of Reagonomics and Thatcherism era - Plenty of cheap consumer goods to buy and waste - Fantastic entertainment industry - White flight and suburban sprawl - Beginning of War on Drugs, sponsorship of Islamic extremism in Afghanistan I guess my point is that one should probably define "advanced" before proceeding to discuss it.

evilgenius134 10y ago
>Equal Pay Act 1970 >National Health Service 1946-1948 >Defining Thatcherism as bad All before 1984. You can't take all the bad parts of the 'West', however you define it, and compare it with a single country.