As someone who currently lives in the former USSR, I agree with much of what Chris Doss says. Yet, I would balance his remarks by suggesting the Soviet Union depoliticized its people, leaving them without confidence to more actively protest as say the Argentineans did when their economy collapsed. Surely, though, the Soviets are not entirely to blame. A passivity bread by centuries of feudalism pervades Russian society. Seeing their hopes for progress dashed by the 1993 US backed Yeltsin crackdown in democracy in 1993, they have become apathetic.
That said, many, especially in cities, enjoy new consumer goods, such as cars. Moscow has observed something like a 5 fold increase in their numbers since the Soviet collapse. West Europe dumps its old vehicles, many having been in accidents and unsaleable in the West for safety reasons, into Russia. Gridlock and their impact on the environment aside, people like them. These are not trinkets, but a significant item unavailable to many before. Their availability has nothing to do with improvements Russia's real, but instead to overcapacity in the auto industry and Russia's willingness to take the surplus. Nonetheless, people can now get them.
There is also an regional core-periphery dimension of this issue. Moscow parasitically draws off Russia's wealth, where it is concentrated. No doubt, though, both statistically and anecdotally, the "average" person was better off in Soviet times. The Baltics, especially their capital cities, may also be an exception, although it took a decade of misery before significant prosperity took hold...
Jeffrey Sommers, Assistant Professor Department of History North Georgia College & State University Dahlonega, GA 30597 Ph.: 706-864-1913 or 1903 Fax: 706-864-1873 Email: jsommers at fulbrightweb.org
Research Associate, World History Center Northeastern University, Boston Url: www.whc.neu.edu
Research Associate Institute of Globalization Studies, Moscow http://www.iprog.ru/en/ --