Question by : Was the USSR better than the USA because there is a much more equal distribution of wealth in USSR?
In USSR wealth was very evenly distributed.
In USA it is not. There is big income inequality in USA.
Answers and Views:
Answer by The Übermensch
Equal distribution of poverty.
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Smudgeward says
I was there for a visit when Andropov was in power circa ’82. Wealth was more evenly distributed amongst the majority of the population but as in George Orwell’s Animal farm those who were running the show – politicians more so than in the west – were far more ‘equal’ than anyone else. There were also grades of employees; scientists did not make the same as truck drivers as in some myths. There were far less obviously poor people to be seen in the USSR than in the US, there was a lot more paranoia, even worse than what al-Qaeda has done to the US since 9/11, it was palpable, a KGB agent let me know he was keeping an eye on me in a surprisingly friendly way from the outset. Everyone was virtually guaranteed a job, or had to work depending on your perspective. Drugs and vice were much more strictly controlled than in the west though who knows what the top brass were possibly up to. The ‘co-operative’ command economy could never generate as much money or lines of credit and debt (depending on whether you believe our current capitalist systems are really working and sustainable), as competitive capitalism mixed with what Socialism we do have. Was it ‘better’? As in every country it depends entirely on whom you are, your perspective and what you believe in.
It was probably largely Reagan’s Star Wars program that put paid to the Soviet experiment; the Soviets believed the bluff that it could be done and that would be checkmate for them so Gorbachev negotiated, unfortunately to the extent that they ended up like a gross caricature of unfettered capitalism and w. a 3rd world style capitalist economy/society. Depending on what happens next it could go either way as to which will become the better country for the majority, as always.
J says
The Government had all the money and the people had none.
Pat says
Not true
February1 says
Who’s pushing for income equality? What people expect is FAIRNESS which does not mean everyone gets the same portion.
The Right needs a boost of intelligence…FAST
The Gladiator says
In the USSR, wealth was not evenly distributed. They simply replaced the Capitalist class with the Comissar class, who continued to abuse the workers.
Michael says
Not really, because in the USSR, money is distributed based on needs (Communism) and in the US, money is earned from hard work (Capitalism). That means that in the USSR, you didn’t have to work hard to earn your money, which is not as good for the economy. Plus, the USSR was a dictatorship >_>
Sam says
“Communism is the shortest road between capitalism and capitalism.
Capitalism is unequal distribution of wealth.
Socialism is the equal distribution of poverty.”
-Jon Stewart
crunch says
Economic freedom is as important as political freedom and the USSR had none of either so I would be compelled by my desire for freedom to say, NO!
Jake says
You know not of what you speak, neocon.
There was great separation of wealth in the USSR – the very rich and the very poor, just the way corporate America wants the US to be.
Stay in school – educate yourself.
Yak Rider says
Yes, everyone was equally poor. Getting an apartment had a 20 year waiting list. The line for shoes stretched blocks and you could have any pair you liked as long as it was size 9 and black. If you were a Communist Party member and willing to wait 15 years you could get a car that broke down on the way home from the dealer.
Rico says
No not at all.
The USSR was a “step” between the previous monarchy rule of tsars and the democratic capitalism they have today.
And hopefully if their capitalism continues to evolve, they will have a better distribution of wealth naturally. And hopefully so will the US.
Emuman says
In USSR millions of people starved to death from shortages and had few, if any, civil liberties. Poverty is bad, income inequality is not. Income inequality does not equal poverty and income equality does not equal prosperity.
USS Kentucky SSBN-737 says
No. The USA had 3 times greater GDP per capita than the USSR. Also an American had 5-7 times more purchasing power than a Soviet. The USSR was completely unable to provide consumer goods. They had shortages of bread, butter, meat, milk and eggs. Housing quality was very poor.
Per capita GDP in 1950(1990 dollars):
USA = $ 9,561
USSR = $ 2,834
Per capita GDP in 1973(1990 dollars):
USA = $ 16,689
USSR = $ 6,058
Per capita GDP in 1990(1990 dollars):
USA = $ 23,214
USSR = $ 6,871
Number of students per 10,000 people in 1986:
USA = 517
USSR = 181
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Bloc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union#cite_note-77
ingsoc1 says
ussr was as corrupt as the us, so you have no point