First of all, thanks for a constructive comment. Rare find when discussed politics online.
- In theory, yes, but in practice, it was not like that. A director of a company would earn max 30% more than the low level employees. If you would perform exceptionally, no one would care. And then you would stand in line for 7h to buy a banana because everyone had almost equal amount of money. Don't get me started. How many years would you have to wait to get a car.
- On second thought, I agree with you on this one. It's more a central control and inability for private people to own business and means of production that caused famines.
- 5 year plan is a horrible example. As it caused a famine that killed 5.7 to 8.7 million people. It's huge sacrifice for a 118% production growth. Take a look at this article on wikipedia It's like Russian land conquests through history, yeah great you now have lots of land but at what costs. Blood and bones of your brothers and sisters and all your neighbors.
- Absolutely, this was happening under Soviet rule. There was a massive trade of favors and bribes. It was not monetary, however. Perhaps someone got some nice cheese from france, so now you can skip line at a hospital. Or perhaps you know a guy in crimea that could host your friend in a beachhouse, and your friend happens to be in charge of allocating appartments so you get one a bit nicer than the other people. Source: geneactions of stories of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and great grandparents. I'm from a country that was a former Soviet state.
- Fair point.