MendotoManteo
Distinguished Member
- Messages
- 326
This is a very complicated subject. I do not wish for it to devolve to pre-conceived notions of socialism/communism and capitalism.
That being said, some things I never knew before the past few years are this:
1. In 1922, Russian Empire life expectancy was around 32 years. US life expectancy was around 40. Despite Russia enduring much worse suffering from world wars and a civil war, by 1975, life expectancy in the Soviet Union was around 70. In the US, it was around 71.
2. The Soviets gave women the right to vote from the start. Despite what we see here, glorifying suffragettes, that's the only reason women got the right to vote when they did. Because of the Bolsheviks.
3. Bread lines - these did not begin until marketization was occurring throughout the 1980s. "Soviet breadlines" are largely a myth. (What the Internet will tell you on this subject is largely a bunch of bullshit. And for good reason.) Inflation was largely tied to this as well.
4. How many countries did the USSR invade/coup as opposed to the USA? I'd say, probably a ratio of 1-10?
Socialism/Communism is a fraught subject. Many people have suffered because of its ideology. "100 million dead!" That's complicated.
But how many have died from capitalist ideology? And how many aren't considered to have been killed from capitalist ideology? Was the starvation of India "capitalist"? It certainly wasn't socialist. Were the world wars "capitalist"? They certainly weren't socialist.
This is not meant as a defense of the Soviet Union. It did a lot of bad things, certainly.
It is to say, however, that the ideology of Marxism/Socialism/Communism is far more complex than we have given it credit. No less so given the fact that our own nation has led numerous embargoes against such countries. Is this because of "freedom" and "democracy"? You've seen the same things I have in the past decade. I would say, probably not.
Always judge a country by its life expectancy. It's the most crucial statistic there is. Income is a side-distraction. "Freedom" is always relative, obviously.
Anyhow, this is the thread to express your thoughts on socialism and communism. Please do so respectfully and thoughtfully.
That being said, some things I never knew before the past few years are this:
1. In 1922, Russian Empire life expectancy was around 32 years. US life expectancy was around 40. Despite Russia enduring much worse suffering from world wars and a civil war, by 1975, life expectancy in the Soviet Union was around 70. In the US, it was around 71.
2. The Soviets gave women the right to vote from the start. Despite what we see here, glorifying suffragettes, that's the only reason women got the right to vote when they did. Because of the Bolsheviks.
3. Bread lines - these did not begin until marketization was occurring throughout the 1980s. "Soviet breadlines" are largely a myth. (What the Internet will tell you on this subject is largely a bunch of bullshit. And for good reason.) Inflation was largely tied to this as well.
4. How many countries did the USSR invade/coup as opposed to the USA? I'd say, probably a ratio of 1-10?
Socialism/Communism is a fraught subject. Many people have suffered because of its ideology. "100 million dead!" That's complicated.
But how many have died from capitalist ideology? And how many aren't considered to have been killed from capitalist ideology? Was the starvation of India "capitalist"? It certainly wasn't socialist. Were the world wars "capitalist"? They certainly weren't socialist.
This is not meant as a defense of the Soviet Union. It did a lot of bad things, certainly.
It is to say, however, that the ideology of Marxism/Socialism/Communism is far more complex than we have given it credit. No less so given the fact that our own nation has led numerous embargoes against such countries. Is this because of "freedom" and "democracy"? You've seen the same things I have in the past decade. I would say, probably not.
Always judge a country by its life expectancy. It's the most crucial statistic there is. Income is a side-distraction. "Freedom" is always relative, obviously.
Anyhow, this is the thread to express your thoughts on socialism and communism. Please do so respectfully and thoughtfully.