I've been listening to a podcast series called the "Russian Rulers History Podcast" and it has given me a better, more thorough, and more-informed course in Russian History than I'm sure any of the hacks posing as liberal arts colleges would. It has provided me a lot of understanding about communism, its origins, as well as the reason it came about in Russia. However, in this particular episode I am amazed to hear, out of Nikita Khrushchev own mouth, his opinions on communism and economics in Russia.
Not because he is basically admitting the economic policies of communism are failing his people.
And not because (unlike pretty much every previous leader of Russia) he dares to admit it.
But because of his complete naivety and cluelessness about economics.
I would have figured an ardent communist, a former leader of the USSR, when writing his memoirs would have a FULLY REHEARSED, SCRIPTED, and POLISHED explanation as to why there was no food, toilet paper or meat available to the Russian people (especially under his reign). But it is amazing the man who was once pounding his shoe, telling the "Imperialist Western Capitalist Pigs" he would bury us, admits his economic policies are failing.
The thing that really gets me though is how apparent it is he just doesn't get it. Here's a man in his 60's, maybe 70's, who went through the communist system his entire life, from the lowest ranked pledge in the youth communist party, to the premier of the Soviet Union, and if you ask him "why isn't there enough bread?" he has no answers.
He has great observations.
He has great explanations.
His logic about how people reaction and behave in an economy is sound.
But when it comes to solutions, all he can say is "I just don't get it."
Perhaps he was too brainwashed to realize how free markets and free people would have solved all the economic problems of the USSR. Perhaps after serving under Stalin coming up with new ideas was just not possible for his psyche. The point is largely (and tragically) moot since hundreds of millions either died, starved, were murdered, tortured, or at minimum suffered MUCH lesser lives than was necessary simply because the leaders of this idiotic economic religion just couldn't admit they were wrong.
Regardless, these precious words of Khrushchev, which make it painfully clear he was not only wrong, but had no clue what he was doing, is absolute mandatory listening for not just rightists, but especially leftists. Because if the god damned leader of the Soviet Union was so flimsy and weak on economics, then how much more weak and flimsy is your average spoiled brat liberal arts college student?
Seriously, it's like the pope admitting Catholicism is all wrong, yet your commoner Catholics, who never read the bible, would argue that it's still "all right."
Captain Capitalism: Why Every Leftist Needs to Listen to Khrushchev
Direct link to audio file
Not because he is basically admitting the economic policies of communism are failing his people.
And not because (unlike pretty much every previous leader of Russia) he dares to admit it.
But because of his complete naivety and cluelessness about economics.
I would have figured an ardent communist, a former leader of the USSR, when writing his memoirs would have a FULLY REHEARSED, SCRIPTED, and POLISHED explanation as to why there was no food, toilet paper or meat available to the Russian people (especially under his reign). But it is amazing the man who was once pounding his shoe, telling the "Imperialist Western Capitalist Pigs" he would bury us, admits his economic policies are failing.
The thing that really gets me though is how apparent it is he just doesn't get it. Here's a man in his 60's, maybe 70's, who went through the communist system his entire life, from the lowest ranked pledge in the youth communist party, to the premier of the Soviet Union, and if you ask him "why isn't there enough bread?" he has no answers.
He has great observations.
He has great explanations.
His logic about how people reaction and behave in an economy is sound.
But when it comes to solutions, all he can say is "I just don't get it."
Perhaps he was too brainwashed to realize how free markets and free people would have solved all the economic problems of the USSR. Perhaps after serving under Stalin coming up with new ideas was just not possible for his psyche. The point is largely (and tragically) moot since hundreds of millions either died, starved, were murdered, tortured, or at minimum suffered MUCH lesser lives than was necessary simply because the leaders of this idiotic economic religion just couldn't admit they were wrong.
Regardless, these precious words of Khrushchev, which make it painfully clear he was not only wrong, but had no clue what he was doing, is absolute mandatory listening for not just rightists, but especially leftists. Because if the god damned leader of the Soviet Union was so flimsy and weak on economics, then how much more weak and flimsy is your average spoiled brat liberal arts college student?
Seriously, it's like the pope admitting Catholicism is all wrong, yet your commoner Catholics, who never read the bible, would argue that it's still "all right."
Captain Capitalism: Why Every Leftist Needs to Listen to Khrushchev
Direct link to audio file
