If the soviet union had adopted a export oriented economic model. One where the country would try to compete on internatonal markets while keeping their model intact, would the soviet model have succeded?
Would the soviet union survived if they had adopted a export oriented model
- Thread starter pandanope3
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To export what ?
Some years, the Soviet Union was barely able to feed its population.
When communists from Western Europe were visiting the most modern industrial production sites of the COMECON countries or the Soviet Union in the 70's and the 80's, they shocked by the old technologies and the lower level of production in quantity and quality.
Even low level industrials workers were able to realise it. I heard from it from a cousin who worked in the "ultra modern" Nowa Huta (giant steel industry plant near Cracow in Poland) in the 80's, and a Italian delegation of communists steel workers were shocked how backward were the installations. I also saw a documentary about old members of the French Communist Party, and one of them understand that the Soviet Union was unable to rivalise with the capitalist world because they were technologically backward, he realise it by travelling extensively in the Communists countries.
The only possible export was to invest in gas and oil extraction at the end of the 60's and wait for the prices to rise in 1973 and offer a stable and reliable import sources to the Western Europe so cutting the Middle Eastern monarchies of a part of their wealth.
Some years, the Soviet Union was barely able to feed its population.
When communists from Western Europe were visiting the most modern industrial production sites of the COMECON countries or the Soviet Union in the 70's and the 80's, they shocked by the old technologies and the lower level of production in quantity and quality.
Even low level industrials workers were able to realise it. I heard from it from a cousin who worked in the "ultra modern" Nowa Huta (giant steel industry plant near Cracow in Poland) in the 80's, and a Italian delegation of communists steel workers were shocked how backward were the installations. I also saw a documentary about old members of the French Communist Party, and one of them understand that the Soviet Union was unable to rivalise with the capitalist world because they were technologically backward, he realise it by travelling extensively in the Communists countries.
The only possible export was to invest in gas and oil extraction at the end of the 60's and wait for the prices to rise in 1973 and offer a stable and reliable import sources to the Western Europe so cutting the Middle Eastern monarchies of a part of their wealth.
They were often offered without financial compensations.
The Vietnamese government pay back a part of its war debts toward the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries by sending its own citizens to work for nothing. Almost slave labors.
This is why in Eastern Europe at the end of the 80's, the only "immigrant" communities were made from these poor Vietnameses who couldn't really came back.
You have a huge community of Vietnameses in Poland who fled from ex-Eastern Germany which they fled after a wave of anti-Vietnamese pogroms at the beginning of the 90's.
The Soviet Union really could have adopted such a model, but there are two main problems: One is an economic problem and the other an ideological problem.
The economic problem is that the Soviet Ruble couldn't be converted, which is a major issue for foreign trade. Even in the Comecon the USSR needed another currency ("transfer ruble") to do trade.
The ideological issue is that an export-oriented model would have to be explained. Flooding other countries with goods is considered Imperialist by Marxism-Leninism.
The economic problem is that the Soviet Ruble couldn't be converted, which is a major issue for foreign trade. Even in the Comecon the USSR needed another currency ("transfer ruble") to do trade.
The ideological issue is that an export-oriented model would have to be explained. Flooding other countries with goods is considered Imperialist by Marxism-Leninism.
Fuzzy Dunlop
Banned
They made not a single ruble from the AK-47 as they made it free to license produce without copy right.
Don't know about the rest of their weapons portfolio though!
Fuzzy Dunlop
Banned
I think that the only way that would work is in regards to oil, gas and other 'stuff' dug out of the ground.
If they'd allowed Western comanies in to their oil and gas sector, not only would waste drop, productivity rise but as a consequence hard currency ($) would help somewhat even acting as a foil against the Middle East led OPEC cartel.
Joking aside exporting what? What they make is basically crap and what they dig out of the ground they sell anyway.
The underlying problem is while the USSR is very good at heavy industry its not actually very good at consumer goods like shoes, or saucepans much less cars motorbikes, transistor radios and consumer durables and effectively cannot do that. The Plan cannot take account of anything but the simplest market reactions because there is no price mechanism - capitalism comrade we have means of curing this disease.
Utterly random start: Ole Kirk Christiansen's years as an itinerant carpenter take him a little further afield and he ends up in Leningrad, falling in love with a local and settling there. Alt-Lego (Kirpies, maybe, after kirpich, Russian for brick?) comes to dominate the world toy market.
This export model is such a stand-out bright spot in the Soviet economy that creating more such opportunities becomes a national priority and a general facet of national policy.
This export model is such a stand-out bright spot in the Soviet economy that creating more such opportunities becomes a national priority and a general facet of national policy.
Lego will be not considered as useful for the Proletariat and the idea will be killed in the nest. Central Planned Economy left little place for local or new initiatives...
They are useful for teaching children to assemble things, however due to uneven feedstock quality and limited manufacturing tolerances, they are an unattractive grayish-green color, don't fit together well, and tend to snap in half. They are also flammable, and mildly toxic if eaten.
Production is discontinued in favor of more practical Lenin Logs construction toy.
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Production is taken over by the armed forces for use as next generation land mines.
Nah, it’s still perfect for a very niche role: non lethal, non permanently crippling, easy to lay and conceal, and hard to sweep.