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I understand that there was still much good about the Soviet/Eastern Bloc system and shortages and all didn't always happen and revisionism would eventually cause all sorts of issues. However, I'm looking for a detailed answer (feel free to send links too) to what actually caused the infamous economic struggles that many people faced (which apparently isn't just completely bourgeois propaganda) in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations (particularly in their later years).

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[-] cfgaussian@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 month ago

for example compare Romania's economy to GDR and you will see what I mean

This isn't entirely fair to blame on the socialist bloc's system as a whole. Romania deliberately chose to follow a more independent, autonomous path from the Soviet Union and distance itself from the bloc somewhat. This is a legitimate choice and as a Romanian i understand why it was made. It's fine to want to preserve your national independence but then you don't get to blame the problems (such as being forced to take out IMF loans) stemming from trying to go it alone on the bloc that you deliberately chose to keep a distance from. I have heard too many times other Romanians complain about not being helped enough by the Soviet Union while also denouncing the Soviet Union for being overbearing. But we can't have it both ways. At least Yugoslavia stood by its choice.

[-] marl_karx@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yes that's what I mean. The member states were caught in a dilema between autonomy and integration, which was never resolved. In my view the only way this could be resolved is either by giving them complete autonomy with some sort of loose cooperation network. The Warsaw pact system tried to do something inbetween, which, at least when I talked to people who lived during that time, ofted created resentment because they percived the USSR as an overlord. I know it sounds a bit stupid, but that is how people tend to think, because humans are not always rational. The way people like Gorbatchov tried to resolve this was too much in too little time, it created too much instability. I think for the future we should learn from exampled like China for good governance. Please do not misunderstand me, I don't hate the USSR or anything, but I think it is important to uphold a high standard in self-critique. I would argue that the principles of sovereignty, equality, and mutual respect were not always upheld to a high standard.

this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2025
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