alt Hacker NewsThe Soviets tried to transition from an economy focused on war and heavy industry to a consumer oriented economy, and they failed massively. See the book 'Building a ruin'.
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Quarrel • today at 11:58 AM
I'm not sure the Soviets ultimately ever really tried to make the transition, when confronted with the reality that the ruling dogma that they represented no longer worked, they couldn't handle the collapses in the periphery.
Also see the 'lost years' of the Japanese economy, or the Chinese as they try to make the transition now.
It is terribly hard, but the USSR had their heads well in the sand at that point.
expedition32 • today at 12:29 PM
The Soviets wanted to build a new system China decided to take over the old one after realising Marxism wasn't going to cut it.
They never actually put a full effort into building a consumer oriented economy.
The authorities would say something about a new food program or a housing program but only as motivational goals. Main players always saw getting people less economically dependent on the state as a major threat.
Making people economically miserable was never a goal, but when building consumer economy would start showing promise the state would reestablish control (see for example Kosygin reforms).