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> But the Soviet Union nonetheless grew. Its growth rate was similar to that of the United States, but starting from a lower level (missing out on catch-up grow

by lr1970 3y ago

> But the Soviet Union nonetheless grew. Its growth rate was similar to that of the United States, but starting from a lower level (missing out on catch-up growth). ... Even though the system was not efficient, it wasn't disastrous by itself, only suboptimal. I am sorry but it is total BS. I grew up in late USSR and can attest that its economy was in free fall. Central planning was one big demotivator and major contributor to the economic disastor. There were no incentives whatsoever to do your job well. Social mobility, career growth depended on factors outside of your direct control. Productivity was a fraction of what it was in the West. Bottom line -- any attempt on economic central planning first has to solve the problem of motivating productivity of human free agents. Otherwise it will fail in a similar way as Soviet Union did.

biorach 3y ago
What you're describing sounds suboptimal rather than disastrous
qwytw 3y ago
> economy was in free fall In the late 80s.. Before that there was some growth intertwined with stagnation.
- lr1970 3y ago
  > In the late 80s.. Before that there was some growth intertwined with stagnation. In both 70th and 80th there was no growth. Maybe in 60th there was some but it was before my time. Anyway, it was depressing place. There were some great people there but it was despite the system not because of it.
pessimizer 3y ago
It would have been worse as a peasant under the tsar. Communism brought modernity to Russia and made it a world power.
- lr1970 3y ago
  > It would have been worse as a peasant under the tsar. Communism brought modernity to Russia and made it a world power. Big misconception. Russian Empire just before the WWI (1913) was a dynamic growing economy. It was behind Germany and UK but it was in the middle of the pack of European countries. Bolsheviks totally ruined the country. People paid enormous price for the "modernization" that was already underway during the tsar. Bolshevik revolution of 1917 was a single worst calamity that happened to Russia in 20th century, even worse that nazi invasion of 1941.
scythe 3y ago
>I grew up in late USSR Data is better than anecdotes: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GDP_per_capita_development_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GDP_per_capita_devel... These are data reconstructed by Western economists, not Soviet partisans. Only when the political system was in a meltdown by the end of the '80s did the USSR experience a sustained economic decline.

by lr1970 3y ago

biorach 3y ago

What you're describing sounds suboptimal rather than disastrous

qwytw 3y ago

> economy was in free fall In the late 80s.. Before that there was some growth intertwined with stagnation.

lr1970 3y ago
> In the late 80s.. Before that there was some growth intertwined with stagnation. In both 70th and 80th there was no growth. Maybe in 60th there was some but it was before my time. Anyway, it was depressing place. There were some great people there but it was despite the system not because of it.

pessimizer 3y ago

It would have been worse as a peasant under the tsar. Communism brought modernity to Russia and made it a world power.

lr1970 3y ago
> It would have been worse as a peasant under the tsar. Communism brought modernity to Russia and made it a world power. Big misconception. Russian Empire just before the WWI (1913) was a dynamic growing economy. It was behind Germany and UK but it was in the middle of the pack of European countries. Bolsheviks totally ruined the country. People paid enormous price for the "modernization" that was already underway during the tsar. Bolshevik revolution of 1917 was a single worst calamity that happened to Russia in 20th century, even worse that nazi invasion of 1941.

scythe 3y ago

>I grew up in late USSR Data is better than anecdotes: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GDP_per_capita_development_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GDP_per_capita_devel... These are data reconstructed by Western economists, not Soviet partisans. Only when the political system was in a meltdown by the end of the '80s did the USSR experience a sustained economic decline.