The NEP was forged in the context of a highly undeveloped Russia, with a necessity to uplift agriculture as soon as possible so as to rapidly improve industry. The hatred of the people towards the NEPmen was understandable, but a clear reading of the historical material conditions reveals that it was necessary. As long as the socialist state holds the commanding heights of industry, and maintains a vigilant eye towards any organized political resistance from the petite bourgeoisie and bourgeoisie, markets can be a complementary part to the broader socialist system in developing underdeveloped areas.
As for Mao’s economy, it was again rapid industrialization. The problem with Mao’s economy was that growth was uneven and unstable. Deng Xiaoping’s reforms stabilized and slightly accelerated development. You’ll get no argument from me that killing off the sparrows was wrong, but knowledge of agronomics was very low comparatively in China, and thus this mistake was not repeated as their knowledge advanced.
I also am not a fan of the sino-soviet split. I do not believe Mao to have been blameless for it, however, Khrushchev’s venom was correctly called out by Mao. Just as Mao wasn’t permanently good, so too was Khrushchev not permanently bad, but there’s good reason why Khrushchev’s actions enabled Gorbachev’s, which enabled Yeltsin’s.
Regarding technology transfer, certainly you can see that Chinese manufacturing is now more advanced than soviet manufacturing. In becoming the world’s factory, they not only copied western tech, but totally owned the entire production process, and now are using it to advance and develop further. There is a qualitative difference between reverse engineering every single thing you copy, and being able to simply copy what you’re already manufacturing.
All in all, I understand that I am not Russian. I am indeed a westerner, damned as I may be. However, I truly believe that I can recognize both the Chinese and Soviet approaches as immensely positive forces, and hope that Russia returns to socialism within my lifetime. I long to see the western empire fall, and I am happy to see existing socialist countries advance forward into the future despite western flailing. The west has fallen into China’s trap, and it is too late to leave. What we are witnessing is a cornered beast that has already lost, and is throwing a fit in the aftermath.
Khrushchev’s venom was correctly called out by Mao.
Like you, I also detest Khrushchev; however, as far as China is concerned, Khrushchev did nothing detrimental—in fact, he continued Stalin’s foreign policy course regarding that country.
And here is something that might surprise you: Stalin and Mao never actually shared a warm relationship. Stalin used to refer to Mao as a “radish”—red on the outside (a communist), but white on the inside (a capitalist).
but there’s good reason why Khrushchev’s actions enabled Gorbachev’s, which enabled Yeltsin’s.
Yes, I completely agree with you here. Stalin’s death was the beginning of the end for the USSR.
Regarding technology transfer, certainly you can see that Chinese manufacturing is now more advanced than soviet manufacturing. In becoming the world’s factory, they not only copied western tech, but totally owned the entire production process, and now are using it to advance and develop further.
Once again, Comrade: The factories where this “copying” took place were built using Western capital. The Western owners were undoubtedly keen to ensure those factories generated a profit, so they dispatched their own specialists to help their Chinese comrades master the technologies more quickly; equipment and machinery were provided as well.
There is no miracle here, Comrade. I played football as a child, and back then, the Germans built an Adidas factory in Moscow. I used to buy Moscow-made Adidas boots; they were indistinguishable from the originals—except that they cost several times less.
Just imagine: if there had been thousands of such factories—as there are in China—what would have happened then? Moscow-made Adidas would have completely displaced German Adidas. Does that not remind you of anything?
The only catch is that, in the USSR, you could count the number of Western-built factories on the fingers of one hand…
As for the idea of simply copying something without developing it further… Have you heard about the Korean War, where American pilots suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Soviet airmen? The ratio was something like one to ten—I don’t recall the exact figures.
The whole secret lies in the fact that the aircraft flown by the Soviet pilots were copies of American designs—except that, in their version, the Russians altered the wing angle. And the Russians won.
All in all, I understand that I am not Russian. I am indeed a westerner, damned as I may be.
Comrade, I feel a certain sense of embarrassment before you. This is the first time I have ever heard an American speak like this.
I am pleased to hear that. When I detect a certain note of regret… I truly hope it is sincere!
What we are witnessing is a cornered beast that has already lost, and is throwing a fit in the aftermath.
You can see that a cornered beast will fight to the bitter end! A cornered beast is capable of anything!
Comrade, it is one thing to merely observe, but quite another to be right in the epicenter. I am watching Russia—quite literally—through a pair of naval binoculars.
If I were to set up a drum, grab a spyglass, put on a tricorn hat, and perch myself on that drum—well, I could easily pass for Napoleon… )))
For those of us here, all these death throes… they reverberate back to us later with excruciating pain. Just now, Ukraine struck a dormitory; many teenagers were killed. And the retaliation will come flying back—right down onto our heads…
The NEP was forged in the context of a highly undeveloped Russia, with a necessity to uplift agriculture as soon as possible so as to rapidly improve industry. The hatred of the people towards the NEPmen was understandable
Yes, the NEP was likely necessary—it was not without reason that Lenin introduced it. The peasantry had begun to resent the prodrazvyorstka (grain requisitioning system), and peasant uprisings flared up in several regions; Lenin introduced the NEP out of necessity—in part, to pacify the peasants.
However, Stalin did not abolish the NEP immediately; the policy remained in place—albeit under duress—for another four years.
Joseph Stalin viewed the New Economic Policy (NEP) not as a means of building socialism, but rather as a forced, temporary retreat designed to save Soviet power from economic ruin.
He criticized it for fostering a resurgence of capitalist elements, posing a threat of the countryside undergoing a “kulak”-driven regression, and being fundamentally incompatible with a planned economy.
Key points of Stalin’s critique of the NEP:
Resurgence of Capitalism:
Stalin argued that the NEP legalized private entrepreneurs (“NEPmen”) and stimulated the growth of the kulak class, leading to social stratification that worked to the detriment of the proletariat.
Constraints on Industrialization:
Small-scale private enterprise was incapable of providing the country with the heavy industry and advanced technology required for national defense.
The Threat of Socialist Failure:
In a speech delivered at a conference of Marxist historians (1929), he stated explicitly:
“If we adhere to the NEP, it is because it serves the cause of socialism. But when it ceases to serve that cause… we will cast it to hell.”
As for Mao’s economy, it was again rapid industrialization.
I highly value Mao’s achievements in unifying China—that is, indeed, an invaluable accomplishment.
However, it seems to me that as a politician, economist, and strategist, Mao was rather lackluster… perhaps because he was a romantic and an idealist.
And what, exactly, were his economic achievements? Mao compelled every peasant to build a furnace on their own property and cast low-quality pig iron. This is precisely what Stalin had refused to do: hand over heavy industry to small-scale cooperatives. Mao sought to boost pig iron and steel production tenfold within a decade using this method—relying on the peasants and the furnaces in their backyards. Do you consider that a sound strategic move?
The fanatical campaign to exterminate sparrows was merely a way to identify a concrete “enemy”—something to blame for poor harvests—rather than acknowledging the leadership’s own miscalculations.
The conflict with the USSR was a tactic to divert the public’s attention from the country’s true problems by designating an external enemy. At that time, China was engaged in a full-blown campaign to discredit the Soviet Union. They were plastering up all sorts of leaflets… it strikes me as very bizarre.
Meanwhile, in the USSR, the newspapers were describing China as—and you might be surprised to hear this—a “militarist” state.
The NEP was forged in the context of a highly undeveloped Russia, with a necessity to uplift agriculture as soon as possible so as to rapidly improve industry. The hatred of the people towards the NEPmen was understandable, but a clear reading of the historical material conditions reveals that it was necessary. As long as the socialist state holds the commanding heights of industry, and maintains a vigilant eye towards any organized political resistance from the petite bourgeoisie and bourgeoisie, markets can be a complementary part to the broader socialist system in developing underdeveloped areas.
As for Mao’s economy, it was again rapid industrialization. The problem with Mao’s economy was that growth was uneven and unstable. Deng Xiaoping’s reforms stabilized and slightly accelerated development. You’ll get no argument from me that killing off the sparrows was wrong, but knowledge of agronomics was very low comparatively in China, and thus this mistake was not repeated as their knowledge advanced.
I also am not a fan of the sino-soviet split. I do not believe Mao to have been blameless for it, however, Khrushchev’s venom was correctly called out by Mao. Just as Mao wasn’t permanently good, so too was Khrushchev not permanently bad, but there’s good reason why Khrushchev’s actions enabled Gorbachev’s, which enabled Yeltsin’s.
Regarding technology transfer, certainly you can see that Chinese manufacturing is now more advanced than soviet manufacturing. In becoming the world’s factory, they not only copied western tech, but totally owned the entire production process, and now are using it to advance and develop further. There is a qualitative difference between reverse engineering every single thing you copy, and being able to simply copy what you’re already manufacturing.
All in all, I understand that I am not Russian. I am indeed a westerner, damned as I may be. However, I truly believe that I can recognize both the Chinese and Soviet approaches as immensely positive forces, and hope that Russia returns to socialism within my lifetime. I long to see the western empire fall, and I am happy to see existing socialist countries advance forward into the future despite western flailing. The west has fallen into China’s trap, and it is too late to leave. What we are witnessing is a cornered beast that has already lost, and is throwing a fit in the aftermath.
Like you, I also detest Khrushchev; however, as far as China is concerned, Khrushchev did nothing detrimental—in fact, he continued Stalin’s foreign policy course regarding that country.
And here is something that might surprise you: Stalin and Mao never actually shared a warm relationship. Stalin used to refer to Mao as a “radish”—red on the outside (a communist), but white on the inside (a capitalist).
Yes, I completely agree with you here. Stalin’s death was the beginning of the end for the USSR.
Once again, Comrade: The factories where this “copying” took place were built using Western capital. The Western owners were undoubtedly keen to ensure those factories generated a profit, so they dispatched their own specialists to help their Chinese comrades master the technologies more quickly; equipment and machinery were provided as well.
There is no miracle here, Comrade. I played football as a child, and back then, the Germans built an Adidas factory in Moscow. I used to buy Moscow-made Adidas boots; they were indistinguishable from the originals—except that they cost several times less.
Just imagine: if there had been thousands of such factories—as there are in China—what would have happened then? Moscow-made Adidas would have completely displaced German Adidas. Does that not remind you of anything?
The only catch is that, in the USSR, you could count the number of Western-built factories on the fingers of one hand…
As for the idea of simply copying something without developing it further… Have you heard about the Korean War, where American pilots suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Soviet airmen? The ratio was something like one to ten—I don’t recall the exact figures.
The whole secret lies in the fact that the aircraft flown by the Soviet pilots were copies of American designs—except that, in their version, the Russians altered the wing angle. And the Russians won.
Comrade, I feel a certain sense of embarrassment before you. This is the first time I have ever heard an American speak like this.
I am pleased to hear that. When I detect a certain note of regret… I truly hope it is sincere!
You can see that a cornered beast will fight to the bitter end! A cornered beast is capable of anything!
Comrade, it is one thing to merely observe, but quite another to be right in the epicenter. I am watching Russia—quite literally—through a pair of naval binoculars.
If I were to set up a drum, grab a spyglass, put on a tricorn hat, and perch myself on that drum—well, I could easily pass for Napoleon… )))
For those of us here, all these death throes… they reverberate back to us later with excruciating pain. Just now, Ukraine struck a dormitory; many teenagers were killed. And the retaliation will come flying back—right down onto our heads…
Yes, the NEP was likely necessary—it was not without reason that Lenin introduced it. The peasantry had begun to resent the prodrazvyorstka (grain requisitioning system), and peasant uprisings flared up in several regions; Lenin introduced the NEP out of necessity—in part, to pacify the peasants.
However, Stalin did not abolish the NEP immediately; the policy remained in place—albeit under duress—for another four years.
Joseph Stalin viewed the New Economic Policy (NEP) not as a means of building socialism, but rather as a forced, temporary retreat designed to save Soviet power from economic ruin.
He criticized it for fostering a resurgence of capitalist elements, posing a threat of the countryside undergoing a “kulak”-driven regression, and being fundamentally incompatible with a planned economy.
Key points of Stalin’s critique of the NEP:
Resurgence of Capitalism:
Stalin argued that the NEP legalized private entrepreneurs (“NEPmen”) and stimulated the growth of the kulak class, leading to social stratification that worked to the detriment of the proletariat.
Constraints on Industrialization:
Small-scale private enterprise was incapable of providing the country with the heavy industry and advanced technology required for national defense.
The Threat of Socialist Failure:
In a speech delivered at a conference of Marxist historians (1929), he stated explicitly:
“If we adhere to the NEP, it is because it serves the cause of socialism. But when it ceases to serve that cause… we will cast it to hell.”
I highly value Mao’s achievements in unifying China—that is, indeed, an invaluable accomplishment.
However, it seems to me that as a politician, economist, and strategist, Mao was rather lackluster… perhaps because he was a romantic and an idealist.
And what, exactly, were his economic achievements? Mao compelled every peasant to build a furnace on their own property and cast low-quality pig iron. This is precisely what Stalin had refused to do: hand over heavy industry to small-scale cooperatives. Mao sought to boost pig iron and steel production tenfold within a decade using this method—relying on the peasants and the furnaces in their backyards. Do you consider that a sound strategic move?
The fanatical campaign to exterminate sparrows was merely a way to identify a concrete “enemy”—something to blame for poor harvests—rather than acknowledging the leadership’s own miscalculations.
The conflict with the USSR was a tactic to divert the public’s attention from the country’s true problems by designating an external enemy. At that time, China was engaged in a full-blown campaign to discredit the Soviet Union. They were plastering up all sorts of leaflets… it strikes me as very bizarre.
Meanwhile, in the USSR, the newspapers were describing China as—and you might be surprised to hear this—a “militarist” state.