--- andie nachgeborenen <andie_nachgeborenen at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Markets are harsh and brutal and a bit cruel --
> that
> is why we need the welfare state and unenemployment
> insurance, but otherwise you do go all Soiet. And
> whatever Chris and Charles say, I know a lot about
> the
> Societ economy, and believe me, you don't want
> exploding TVs, long lines for stuff you don't want,
> shoddy everything if it's not military, and so
> forth.
> Yeah, it tottered along for 60 years.
Justin, I'm not advocating the Soviet model for the US or even Russia for that matter (I think Russia should have state-directed natural resource companies that generously subsidize market-based small and medium business -- in other words, generally current Russian economic policy). But that system DID, by the Brezhnev era, bring a level of prosperity to most Soviet citizens that they had never seen before. That's just true. (Saying "the Soviet system didn't work" will draw laughs in Russia, by the way.)
===== Nu, zayats, pogodi!
__________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo