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"disastrous privatization of the economies of the Post-Soviet states that's lead to massive human suffering and political failure" Communists around the world killed between 60 million and 100 million people (there is debate among scholars as to the exact number).[0] Stalin killed the "wealthy" peasants, enslaved Eastern Europe, and carted millions off to work camps in Siberia (where they would eventually die or become broken people). Pol Pot killed 2 million of his own people as a "social engineering" experiment (after studying Rousseau). Mao killed 45 million in 4 years. Can anyone say "massive human suffering and political failure"? It's true that the Post-Soviet states have had mixed results, based upon which have privatized industry and enacted pro-freedom policies, and also based upon which people retained trace Enlightenment notions of the government's relationship to its citizenry. Estonia, for example, has flourished: "The foundation was laid in 1992 when Mart Laar, Estonia’s prime minister at the time, defibrillated the flat-lining economy. In less than two years his young government (average age: 35) gave Estonia a flat income-tax, free trade, sound money and privatisation. New businesses could be registered smoothly and without delays, an important spur for geeks lying in wait."[1] In Russia, a heavy-industrial and resource-based country (partly thanks to Stalin's 5-year-plans and massive capital theft from the Eastern Bloc countries), former Communist officials assumed ownership of state assets during the transition, and it predictably has not done as well. Again, we can argue that liberalization has not occurred to a great extent in countries such as Russia, where a strongman still rules. (It's probably the case that places with massive natural resources have had greater struggles, as there was probably better opportunity for collusion by the political oligopoly. Less resource-rich countries have on-average fared better.) We can have an intelligent discussion comparing each of those countries based on the different policies they have enacted. However, to drop historical context of life (and death) during the Soviet era is completely ludicrous. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_killings_under_Communist_... [1] http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/07/ec... |