Solviet Union Essays - Communism In Russia, Communist States

Solviet Union Essay #1 Samuel P.S.204 3-14-9 The Soviet Union sparked its first paths of development towards a communist economy through a five-year plan in 1938. The plan called for government controls and government regulation for their workers. This planned also controlled prices and wages for the workers to control the standard of living and to keep the needs of the common man minimal. The government wanted control of all private industries so that they can push for a rapid industrial society. Benefits such as health care and public housing were terminated to help the Soviet government with their plan. The Soviets wanted to combine their work force with their investments in coal, steel and iron to boost their capital and help them create a super nation. After Joseph Stalins death in 1953 a change began to occur in the Soviet Union. A new set of reforms was set up which were to reestablish welfare programs and public housing. This plan that was coined the destalinization effort, was used to introduce the new market strategies, expanding production and raising the profit margin. However politically this plan was looked upon negatively and was merely disregarded. Over time several attempts towards this model were made as late as 1988. Gorbachev was still trying for economic reforms. Small business enterprises began to branch out and with new laws in place more businesses were in control of themselves without that much government regulations. These businesses folded and inflation became a horrid realization for the soviets. The soviet economic plan was failing and was not showing any signs of revival. It was not until the breaking up of the Soviet Union in the early 90s where the Soviet economy would show signs of hope. Compared to the theories of Marx, the Soviet Union did not begin their economic development in the way, which Marx theorized. He believed that the economy needed to be collectively ran and owned rather than in private hands. He also believed that education should be free for all children in public schools and that benefits for workers should be in place. His overall ideas were thatThe revolutionary overthrow of capitalism and the Bourgeoisie state by a mass up rising of the urban working class, the Proletariat. (Nagle, J.pg.156) At times, the Soviet society had beliefs of Marxism and economic reforms were beginning to align in a conceptual sense. During the destalinization period the beliefs were beginning to give back to the working man and uses of new strategies to help overall production arose and thus helped the economy. During the period of the five-year plan the Soviet Unions economic and political structure was almost totally different in that the goal of the society was to ha ve total government control. Control of the worker, control of the resources and control of the profits. The failures of the economic and political development of the Soviet Unions were that during the times of the five-year model rise of Communism. The government believed that their system would help create a super power nation when in fact it made the nation weaker because it failed within two years because of distress among the common man. Efforts to correct the damage done to the society tremendous and since the break up the Soviet Union they are still trying to rebuild the nation to what it once was before the fall or the revolution. It would be difficult to speculate about the future of the Soviet Union or current day Russia. In keeping with current events I believe that Russia will continue trying to rebuild its economy and the future of its economy and the future of its people. With Yeltsin as their as their leader Russia will hopefully be able to create a system that will raise the rate of production of goods which will lead to raising the standards of the economy and living. Political Issues