Communists regard the Russian Revolution of 1917 as the greatest event in human history. For the first time ever, the working class seized power and began the task of constructing a new socialist order.
However, in conditions of extreme material backwardness, and with the isolation of the Revolution on a world stage, it’s clear there was no hope of building a communist society in such dire conditions.
Nevertheless, the Soviet Union stands out in history as the first time a workers’ state began the task of planning the economy.
In this talk, Adam Booth uncovers the dynamics and laws of the early Soviet economy, explaining the objective forces which propelled the policies of the Bolsheviks, and later the Stalinist bureaucrats.
Through understanding the Soviet economy, we can see the potential of economic planning today, as well as a glimpse of what a future communist society might look like.
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