ChinaTalk Soviet Ruins and China's Future
21 snips
Oct 21, 2024 
Yakov Feygin, author of "Building a Ruin," dives into the economic struggles of the Soviet Union and parallels with contemporary China. He discusses the strengths and limitations of Stalin's economic model and Khrushchev's shift towards competition with capitalism. The conversation highlights how technological optimism inspired Soviet reforms, many of which echo in Chinese policies today. Feygin also unveils the ideological battles within the Soviet leadership and the historical insights that can inform China's future trajectory.
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Stalinist Model's Logic
- The Stalinist economic model, while seemingly chaotic, had an underlying logic tied to the Soviet Union's global revolutionary project.
- This model aimed at rapid modernization and independence from capitalism, but its effectiveness waned as the global landscape shifted.
Stalinist Modernization
- Stalinist modernization shared similarities with other modernization efforts, focusing on rapid industrialization through high investment rates.
- The Stalinist model, however, uniquely involved repression and genocide against the peasantry to achieve these goals.
Stalin's View on Planning
- Stalin admitted that the planned economy wasn't a desired outcome but a necessity to prevent collapse.
- He viewed planning as essential for maintaining independence from capitalist encirclement.
