alt Hacker NewsThey 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).
Exactly; the Soviet Union famously tried to reform its political institutions before reforming its economy. The Chinese looked at that and decided never to reform their political system.