Date: Thu, 11 Aug 94 00:24:48 EST
From: WCECIL-AT-ucs.indiana.edu
Subject: RE: Stalinism


In response to D. Jones one might consider that the recent 'overthrow"
of the Soviet Union was brougght about not by a lack of products, as is 
so often claimed by the media, but by an interesting mix of increasingly
Bourgoise desires being fed by an expanding media, large savings
accounts held by the average citizen, and the slow slow spread of consumer
goods.  The much vaunted shortages were seen primarily in Moscow and were
due to poor distribution as much, if not more than, a lack of basic goods.
But what really ticked people off was that they had money, and wanted
to buy things but couldn't get a hold of them.  Anyway, the people en masse
overthrew an admittedly repressive but nonetheless pretty damn egalitarian,
materially at least, society in favor of the chaos they have now + 
cd players.  I forget who said it, but "Given a choice between love
and garbage disposals, young people the world over are choosing garbage disposals"
Wes