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In Yugoslavia, the socialist economy was based around state-owned workers-coops in major industries and public services, supply coops at the medium level and toleration of private ownership in small businesses and smallhold farms. Strikes were legal and unless political motivation was considered the cause, the industry groups would look to address greviances. However if the Party did not approve, strikes were crushed in much the same manner as the Warsaw Pact.

Yugoslavia allowed emigration due to the financial benefits of guest workers in the West and as a pressure valve for dissent. By the late 1970s, over 410,000 Yugoslavians were living/working in West Germany under this system.

Also interestingly, Tito's regime tolerated and to an extent encouraged the influx of western media to the point the Young Communists would organise rock concerts and festivals, often hosting bands that were critical of the regime. Although not accepting of outright hostility to the state, they were willing to accept "healthy criticism".

However such a system have hampered by the complex decentralisation of government to republics that became all but unworkabe following Tito's death, poor infrastructure and a unique banking system that allowed for exploitation during periods of hyperinflation during the late 1980s. Meanwhile Yugoslavia's relative isolation meant global economic crises, such the 1973 Oil crisis upset the usually impressive growth of the Yugoslav economy, only worsened by U.S economic efforts in the 1980s to destabilise the country, seeing it as the "low-hanging fruit" of the communist world.


So I was wondering, is there anyway to see the Eastern Bloc implement a similar system post-Stalin? Now I doubt following the 1948 split Moscow would be happy to admit to following Tito's lead but spin is a powerful thing. I also believe in a large economic bloc, the fragility of Yugoslavia could be dampened, particularly in issues such as oil.
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