How did Communism fail in Soviet Union?

[Dazzy]

If he was posting in the World of Warcraft section id agree. He isnt. Dont be so hostile.

Not being hostile, op said :


"i don't care about modern world. I am writing a paper on it. most of the research items i found is incredibly biased and judges its failures from modern perspective rather than why it failed for its time. if i can't find any good source i have to abondon it. "

I was simply pointing out that a forum built around video games would probably be the absolute wrong place to be looking, stating that libraries would be full of books on the subject.

By posting here he's looking for answers he can copy/paste into a paper instead of doing research (work) it requires, kind of defeating the point of the higher education system.

Besides all that, anything written here would be unusable with no source. I guess he could list in the sources "Random person on MMO-Champion", hell even give a link to the post. At least the teacher/prof. comments could be ss'd and posted for laughs.

[Deleted]

Whenever such a topic appears on MMO champion, and I get the will to try and explain why communism doesn't work - I see a bunch of delusional people posting how awesome communism is with their Hammer and Sickle avatars and saying how greed destroys society, and capitalists are a bunch of meanies and yada yada yada, so I get instantly frustrated and don't post.

Some people are just incredibly unreasonable and live in imagination land - not worth my time. Huge props to those who still try.

[Oniax]

It fails because people are anything but equal.

[Collegeguy]

Oddly enough, if your looking for a good TLDR version of why communism failed, go pick up a microeconomics book in the library and it should have it in the first chapter somewhere.

[Deleted]

Look, it isn't that it was extremly flawed or yada-yada, this doesn't answer anything.

So, let's go back in time. Before Gorbachev the USSR had a lot of old and weak leaders put there mostly to be controlled by the party.
Gorbachev got in power. He saw that his country is way too corrupt and spends too much money on crap (like nukes). Also some racial dissensions had started around Cecenia and Lithuania/Latvia. So besides the more known reforms, he made some type of friendship stuff with USA, to get money from army back to the country, and then he promised the countries inside the USSR that he'd give them some more freedom. And he wanted that, he imagined the USSR more like a federation controlled by Russia(sort of like the Horde in WoW, each country does what they want, but they all obey when needed and they're all inside the major "country").
However, Eltin got first, he proposed the republics independance. So they went with him. Since he wasn't a communist, or at least he pretended to be more "liberal", that's why communism fell in Russia.
In the former republics of the USSR it fell out of hate, the people had been treated as lesser people, workers, so they shunned communism and Russia.

In other countries outside the USSR, same thing, people were feeling used, also added to the fact many had iron-fist dictators until Gorbachev came and changed as many as he could (except Romania and Albania mostly, where he couldn't change the dictator, and Yugoslavia, where the dictator was a nice guy all the time and did stuff for his people even in defiance of USSR's orders, he also managed to keep racial tensions to a minimum until he died) and they felt it was the time to break free, and they did. However they felt the USSR had treated them like crap, and so they went towards capitalism. Some did it gradually, like Poland, and some did it in a few days, like Romania and our revolution.

Some countries either had a too powerful economy still (China) and so didn't have to worry about any revolution, were too poor and felt communism was better for them since they had more stuff (Moldova), were too far away and had enemies close so people feared said enemies might take advantage of the situation (Cuba, North Korea) or simply had a good dictator (Yugoslavia - Tito, think he died in 94', and after him came... Slobodan Milosevic, and we all know what happened then).

So, communism fell because Russia wanted to impose their rule in a system that was supposed to be about equality and people hated how itt was applied.

---------- Post added 2012-06-17 at 12:13 AM ----------

It is because of Yuri as seen in C&C Red Alert series, he is the reason for the failure. (no I am not serious)

I am not so sure, it's rather because of you, the commander who played Red Alert 2. If not for you, Yuri would have won and we'd be all happy mindcontrolled mining crystals with shovels running after a giant factory on wheels with a machine gun on top.

[Deleted]

So many factors contributed to the fall of Bolshevism. The murderous and all-invasive, yet blundering and hesitant nature of the Stalinists, the material conditions inherited by Lenin and the gang after the Tsar and provisional government were deposed and they finally pulled Russia out of the WWI, the violent opposition to a proletarian revolution from the majority of the most powerful nations at the time and their funding and aiding of reactionary, White forces to try and bring down the regime during the Civil War period (fearing that if they didn't, workers' revolutions would spark in their own countries) and their distrust and refusal to cooperate and interact positively with the Soviets later (understandable post-Stalin) and the effect that all this had on the working masses of the USSR.

It's common knowledge that happy workers are productive workers and the totalitarian nature of Bolshevism just ground people's esteem into the ground. It would have been interesting to see what an extra decade under Gorbachev would have been like, with his reformist projects of perestroika and glasnost. But, by that point, people had just had enough and Yeltsin, seeing this opportunity, seized it and took Russia.

I recommend reading Trotsky's Revolution Betrayed for an insider's insight into why Stalinism and the regimes of Brezhnev and others after him, basing their rule on what Uncle Joe started, were doomed to fail. It's interesting to see the reasons given from a Marxist's viewpoint, rather than a Keynesian Capitalist's, as so many summaries out there are likely to be.

[Deleted]

Yes, how did it fail specifically? They were able to go toe to toe with the U.S. till they went bankrupt after the Afganistan war. But if this is seen as failure, then the Capitalism also failed in the U.S. considering we are already bankrupt. The only reason we can keep going because we are borrowing even more to forestall the bankrupcy. Other than bankrupcy how did communism fail-in terms of production, technology etc.

Central planning doesn't work. It's economically unfeasible, mostly because of the "information problem". This is the single greatest factor contributing to their inferior economy. Without a functioning market, participants cannot know if what they're doing is actually beneficial or wasteful. There's no proper feedback between the different actors in the marketplace.

Infact, the only reason USSR was as "prosperous" as it was, was because it was able to get information about what is worth producing and what isn't, by looking at different prices in the western world.

[Dandello19]

Why it failed is simple. If everyone makes the same amount of money, and has access to the same things, there is nothing to make people try harder to get more money lets say. Imagine, why would somebody study for years and years to become a doctor, when they can will make the same amount of money and have the same stuff as a garbage man? It sucks the drive and motivation out of society.

[Deleted]

Actually communism does work, and everything said in this thread is UTTER bullshit, see one of my videos why that is.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jSX741GVlk

The main reason why the USSR fell was because of rightwing countries refusing to trade goods, by refusing i mean is that the USA kindly requested other countries to halt the export to the USSR wich in return KILLED thousands of innocent soviet citizens, just because of fear of the domino effect. It certainly does work, it's just consertive assholes spreading lies and fuck up everyone's economy. Oh, and gorbachev was an idiot.

[Kasierith]

Actually communism does work, and everything said in this thread is UTTER bullshit, see one of my videos why that is.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jSX741GVlk

The main reason why the USSR fell was because of rightwing countries refusing to trade goods, by refusing i mean is that the USA kindly requested other countries to halt the export to the USSR wich in return KILLED thousands of innocent soviet citizens, just because of fear of the domino effect. It certainly does work, it's just consertive assholes spreading lies and fuck up everyone's economy. Oh, and gorbachev was an idiot.

There are probably hundreds of reasons why the Soviet party fell. The soviets did not need to trade as much because they drew resources from their satellite nations, one reason why there were so many bad relations and why the soviets were so involved in the imposing of their will on their allies. I have never even heard of western trade barriers being a significant factor, and ultimately it would have been a drop of water in the oceans surrounding the problems of Soviet era communism.

So, communism fell because Russia wanted to impose their rule in a system that was supposed to be about equality and people hated how itt was applied

I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree with you... while its true that people were unhappy under communism, it was far from the most oppressive reign over the people. At its worst, the Soviet era equaled Ivan the Terrible's reign, where you could be executed for essentially any reason. The viewpoint that the opinion of the people matters in even the slightest bit is a relatively new concept for us; even with the Russian Revolution, it was a few intellectual inspired by outside ideas that fueled it. If it weren't for essentially external motivators pushing them, the people would have never driven themselves to rising up. It simply.. wasn't part of the Russian mentality to resist no matter how cruel the ruler was. Ivan the Terrible once considered stepping down due to the blood on his hands, and the people begged him to remain in power.

[Deleted]

Actually communism does work, and everything said in this thread is UTTER bullshit, see one of my videos why that is.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jSX741GVlk

The main reason why the USSR fell was because of rightwing countries refusing to trade goods, by refusing i mean is that the USA kindly requested other countries to halt the export to the USSR wich in return KILLED thousands of innocent soviet citizens, just because of fear of the domino effect. It certainly does work, it's just consertive assholes spreading lies and fuck up everyone's economy. Oh, and gorbachev was an idiot.

So the USSR would've been glorious and prosperous had not the greedy western capitalist and the idiotic gorbachev meddled in its affairs? I'm sorry, but the parallel existance of the capitalist market economies probably contributed more to the economic advances of USSR than their own central planners.

And don't post 8 minute video's with some 15 year old kid reading some text with the most boring of voices.

[Deleted]

Yes, how did it fail specifically? They were able to go toe to toe with the U.S. till they went bankrupt after the Afganistan war. But if this is seen as failure, then the Capitalism also failed in the U.S. considering we are already bankrupt. The only reason we can keep going because we are borrowing even more to forestall the bankrupcy. Other than bankrupcy how did communism fail-in terms of production, technology etc.

The American Economy is not in bankruptcy.

It is the American State that has massive deficit.

The largest coorporations in the private sector (like Apple and Walmart) took all the money, creating massive debt for the American Government.

All the normal people, as consumers, gave all their money to these coorporations too, creating pockets of poverty where smaller private sector companies would operate too.

As a whole though, the richest private sector companies in the USA create an extremely strong economy, not even close to bankruptcy.



It always amazes me that normal folk do not understand that it is their spending habits that have allowed huge imbalances in their own economy. Consumers as a whole are quite dumb and very fast to part with their money and then wonder why they live in deprived areas.


Capitalism makes the strong stronger (in the private sector), and the weak weaker (in the private sector AND public sector). It also pushes for innovation because the strongest parts of the private sector strengthens even more, which are always the leaders of innovation.


Communism on the other hand, pushes for a stronger public sector, and doesnt encourage strength in the private sector like capitalism does. Basically the private sector workers are all treated equally meaning their is little to no competition that is the driving force for innovation.

The communist public sector then taxes these workers and hoards all the money and parasitically lives of them. Innovation doesnt happen much because the lazy public sector workers live off the existing wealth, and the poor private sector doesnt have the money to push forward innovations.


In a communist state, lazy workers get equal shares as hard workers. Communism does indeed fail.


The perfect system imho is a capitalist that does not allow monopolisation to happen. Basically a system that allows for competition to thrive, but also that same system redistributes wealth properly.


A mixture of socialism (communism) and capitalism = perfect.

[Deleted]

So the USSR would've been glorious and prosperous had not the greedy western capitalist and the idiotic gorbachev meddled in its affairs? I'm sorry, but the parallel existance of the capitalist market economies probably contributed more to the economic advances of USSR than their own central planners.

And don't post 8 minute video's with some 15 year old kid reading some text with the most boring of voices.

Stop being so damn ignorant, look at the facts.

i'm not saying it's great to live in a authoritian country, but it does work.

I believe in a free communist state that punishes exploiting of others but rewards hard work.

[Deleted]

You are the perfect example of the cultural hegemony of the ruling class. Greed, at least the way it exists today, isn't natural.

Greed is an ugly, bu totally natural human trait.

That's why it exists.

Because it is natural occurrence in some humans.


If i had a time machine, i would bet my last dollar that the earliest forms of society had greedy life forms in them that would steal, hoard and gather more resources than any other in their society. More than was needed.

Greed = an ugly but perfectly natural occurrence amongst life.

[Sunseeker]

Because it wasn't really communism.

[Deleted]

Stop being so damn ignorant, look at the facts.

i'm not saying it's great to live in a authoritian country, but it does work.

I believe in a free communist state that punishes exploiting of others but rewards hard work.

The facts are that there has never been a successful communist country in the history of mankind.


All that youtube video does is to explain how it could work in theory.

Everyone KNOWS communism is great in theory.

In practice though it fails and can never work because humans are not born equal and communism can not cater for unequal human beings.

That is why it fails.

---------- Post added 2012-06-17 at 12:32 AM ----------

Because it wasn't really communism.

And true communism can never be achieved. Thus......fail.

[Deleted]

Yeah you've got that right, but atleast russia tried for a better world, you've gotta give em that.

[Deleted]

Stop being so damn ignorant, look at the facts.
i'm not saying it's great to live in a authoritian country, but it does work.
I believe in a free communist state that punishes exploiting of others but rewards hard work.

It has never worked, and all valid economic theory and empirical data shows that it cannot work.

It'll always be much, much worse than a capitalist economy.

Yeah you've got that right, but atleast russia tried for a better world, you've gotta give em that.

Yeah so did Hitler.

[N-7]

It has never worked, and all valid economic theory and empirical data shows that it cannot work.

It'll always be much, much worse than a capitalist economy.

Yeah so did Hitler.

And the thread has officially been godwinned...

[artemishunter1]

Thank you for the responses. I found what and where i supposed to search.