Asian History Commons^™

Soviet Russia: An Interpretation, John J. Heeren

Open Learning Resources, General/Selected

Summary

This paper offers an interpretation of Soviet Russia, based upon several weeks of direct observation and investigation conducted in the summer of 1932. The Soviet Union presents itself as a colossal experiment in recasting human society along Marxian lines. The following pages examine both the philosophical underpinnings of Communism and the visible outworking of this revolutionary transformation. Impressive industrial centers reflect a Planned Economy of great ambition, yet marred by shortages, inefficiencies, and a reliance upon capitalistic methods such as piecework and wage incentives. Visible wealth and inequality have been replaced with widespread, uniform poverty. In the countryside, collectivization …