Soviet Communism vs. others

I am Polish and I lived in Poland from 1970 to 1993.

While taking an Economic Statecraft class at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, we have read Olson book Power & Prosperity: Outgrowing Communist and Capitalist Dictatorships accurately describes the major mechanism of what was happening in Poland, USRR and other Eastern European countries from roughly 1917 to 1990. Olson accurately points out the “Covert Collusion” and the very fact that the lack of ownership encouraged deterioration of ethic, which in turn started corruption and economical downfall.

People here in USA have, in general, very skewed picture of communism. On daily bases there was some form of competition, career struggles, etc. as the book describes. See the picture! I have never ever felt that scared in Poland! We have never had any drills like that!

A short story. My parents wanted to buy refrigerator. Mother had contact with the store (she new the salesperson there). Father and Mother stayed in line in front of the merchant stores beginning around 3 o’clock in the morning, before it opened. Without any authority present, people in line made a list and established self-imposed rules. When store opened, everybody was allowed to purchase one or two things. The People decided on that rule. They all wanted to buy something and not let the first few get everything. Since only two refrigerators came (some bureaucrat made the decision to produce only so many), the very first lucky two could buy them …unless of course through “contact” the manager of the store already sold one before the store open. Not all contacts were equal. And of course you had to know when the shipment was going to come to the merchant store to begging with – meaning, you better had “contacts” … and they sometimes did not come cheap. The next shipment could come next month or in 3 months, or who know when. How many refrigerators would come, perhaps none?

On the other hand we were all going to schools; my mother had a career as a teacher, my father worked as well. We all laughed, play without any fear. There were office politics just like there are here, people got promoted, went on vacations, they worked for promotions, were stressed, etc. – it was not one big prison with chicken wire around places and people waking in uniforms, sad and hungry.

Freedom? Who needs it if you have money? While inefficient, the story shows a system that in its core is the same. The rich buy 'contacts' and get what they want. Poor will not. The only better thing in capitalism is that ... you can decide that right in the open in the store, no need for inefficient under the table contacts (generally speaking about small things of course; if you want to buy a senator ... [in USA one has constitutional right to do so] you may want to do that not in an open so much)

Sincerely and respectfully,

Shamick Przemek Gaworski