It would only have been a net positive in terms of relative support for the political apparatus, and even then only in the short term. Retaining political contr

It would only have been a net positive in terms of relative support for the political apparatus, and even then only in the short term. Retaining political control would still ultimately rely on infrastructure and military force driven by technical support & advancement. Then again it may very well have been such short term thinking that contributed to the ultimate collapse of Soviet Russia.