International trade. The citizens of the Eastern Block countries desired and demanded goods that could not be produced within the Warsaw pact countries, moreover, industry required equipment and machinery that could not be produced internally. These goods/equipment had to be purchased from non-Soviet states as the Soviets did not have the ability to supply them. Now, the governents could have simply denied the consumer demands but the industrial equipment was necessary to keep the manufacturing sectors alive. In order to obtain the required goods and equipment the Soviet states needed currency for the states supplying the goods. Ususally foriegn currency can be obtained largely through trade, however, no one in the west wanted anything produced in the east (other then oil which was simply insufficient to generate the monies needed), subsequently, there was a massive trade deficit for the Soviets. With no foriegn currency coming in through trade the only means of obtaining the money needed to purchase the required equipment was to liquidate the gold and precious metals reserves. This is exactly what the Soviet Union did. As the gold reserves started to dwindle it became clear to the USSR polit bureau that they could no longer continue to support their vassel states. Eventually, the Soviets decided to cut off the vassels and instructed them to fend for themselves.... they failed, which created a cascade effect of counter-revolutions that could not be stopped.

China has managed to stave off a similar fate by providing goods to the west and re-investing this in their manufacturing infrastructure... had the soviets done this they may well have survived.

Communism and totalitarianism.

quote:

Originally posted by Shakka Communism and totalitarianism.

You do realize that those terms are mutually exclusive, right?

I agree with communism as well. That type of goverment thinking caused the Soviet Union's collapse.

quote:

Originally posted by Moral Hazard You do realize that those terms are mutually exclusive, right?

Only if you think I'm arguing that they were coincidental.

quote:

Originally posted by Shakka Only if you think I'm arguing that they were coincidental.

In truth neither ever existed in the Soviet Union.

quote:

Originally posted by Moral Hazard In truth neither ever existed in the Soviet Union.

Then I guess it failed because the weather sucks ass.

quote:

Originally posted by Moral Hazard In truth neither ever existed in the Soviet Union.

My history textbooks, professors, and countless documentaries say otherwise so I'd be happy to have your thoughts on how communism never existed in the Soviet Union.

quote:

Originally posted by stevieboy32808 My history textbooks, professors, and countless documentaries say otherwise so I'd be happy to have your thoughts on how communism never existed in the Soviet Union.

Do you know how communism is supposed to work?

And no respectable text book or teacher would describe what was practised in the USSR as communism, Communism sure, but certainly not communism

quote:

Originally posted by George Smiley Do you know how communism is supposed to work? And no respectable text book or teacher would describe what was practised in the USSR as communism, Communism sure, but certainly not communism

Now hang on--I capitalized Communism in my original response. We seem to have a misunderstanding going on here.

quote:

Originally posted by George Smiley Do you know how communism is supposed to work? And no respectable text book or teacher would describe what was practised in the USSR as communism, Communism sure, but certainly not communism

lol