Russia in the 1980s..

[K. A. Pital]

Though with the possibility of capital flight, that can certainly occour in capitalism as well as socialism. And for that matter, a corrupt socialist state can also show the symptoms you describe.

Corruption is a major problem for either capitalism or socialism. Neither elite is totally protected from that.

Another problem is when the managers of growth have less vested interest in sustainability.

Um... yeah. If they can get short-term profits, then ruin the country to hell and run away with the buck, it might seem perfectly good for them. Of course, for the people of said country this would look incredibly vile.

[K. A. Pital]

Some more Soviet photos from the post-war era:

One of the common Soviet highrise flat projects. Most of the housing in the USSR was in highrises, which made it easier and more efficient to run central heating on one side, but crammed a lot of people in those houses on the other side.

A common Soviet flat in a "khrushevka". Something like that my relatives used to have.

Harvest in the fields. Sadly, agriculture was the most damaged industry during the reforms, which led to the loss of own food production on a large scale; all this given the fact that Russia agriculture today can possibly compete with the West cost/effect wise, according to our economic ministry. The problem are the barriers and subsidies in the West.

The abacus.

Soviet die-cast metal models. Boy, they were cool. Die cast MICBM launchers, tanks, jeeps... They were also sturdy enough to hold explosions from petards, fire, water - anything. You can imagine the battles we fought
Many beautiful single girls living in a student hospice (1988).


Milk bottles - glass and fresh milk!


Pepsi Cola automaton:


Fresh kvass - the thing I miss hte most from the times, probably. It was extremely tasty and refreshing. Coca Cola can't compare


A Soviet food market from the Brezhnew days:

In stark contrast to the shops, the markets were always more or less full with food and it was also cheaper. So if there was something you couldn't find in a shop, the best bet was to go to the market

The "Pobeda", award-winning Soviet car - in the 1950's, the USSR was actually capable of making decent cars... somehow it all came to naught down the road, quality was abandoned for cheapness.

[PeZook]

I remember those die-cast models. They were the shit...I wonder why they only sell crappy, small ones now. I mean, they were the perfect boys' toy! Simple, heavy, rugged, large and detailed military models of every kind.

[Netko]

Think I had one of the tanks in the second line... managed to bend the barrel a bit, other then that that thing took major abuse without damage.

[Lord Zentei]

I remember those die-cast models. They were the shit...I wonder why they only sell crappy, small ones now. I mean, they were the perfect boys' toy! Simple, heavy, rugged, large and detailed military models of every kind.

Heh, that brings back memories.

At one point, many years ago, I received my dad's old collection of toy soldiers and atrillery that were gathering dust in the attic. Some of them looked a bit... odd.

-- "Huh, what happened to these?"
-- "Yeah, well... I guess I didn't treat them too well, sometimes.""
-- "It looks like it melted."
-- "... ..."

Later, I found out that he and his brothers had been playing around with detonators.

[VT-16]

Thanks for the photographic tour! All I can remember from the Soviet-era was hearing about the occasional Russian submarine getting caught in fishing nets and stuff like that. And I had to learn all the "new" countries in grade school after the collapse. :P

[K. A. Pital]

Later, I found out that he and his brothers had been playing around with detonators.

Who wasn't? Real explosions look so cool.

We also created strong paper fortifications and then played in aerial bombings.

You take a plastic bottle from, say, glue or washing powder, hold it on a wooden stick and fire it up. The plastic falls down and burns, destroying the fortifications, unlucky soldiers and some of the plastic tech...

Yeah. Toy soldiers were the shit