A great answer to the question Why did Soviet workers say the govt pretends to pay us, and we pretend to work? The reason is because in a Socialist system they are workers as opposed to a Capitalist system where they would be employees. The difference is in a Socialist system everyone has a job just so everyone can be kept busy. So, they would do things by hand that could be done far better by machine and even just dig holes so another group of workers could then fill them back up. In that kind of system there isnt any real production, no profit to reinvest or motive to ever make improvements. Workers are simply numbers, hands to be kept busy and the currency had long lost any real value. Governments, you see, can print money but production gives it value. In a Capitalist system it is value added for value received. It is beneficial for employer (who makes a profit), employee (who earns a salary) and consumer (who gets what he wants and needs at bargain prices due to efficiency and competition. The Soviet Socialist System had workers doing non-productive work and were paid in worthless currency, thus, We pretend to work; they pretend to pay us. It is also noteworthy, that the small but powerful elitist ruling class, lived quite well on imported goods.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 06:15:27 +0000