Change Comes At A Price

The democratization, economic liberalization, and eventual collapse of the Soviet Union is commonly attributed to Mikhail Gorbachev's Perestroika and Glasnost reforms during the period of 1985-1991. This purpose of these reforms is still a trenchant question as the countries of the old Soviet Union, particular Russia, are being pressured to further liberalize their economies.

The Soviet Union, which was once a world superpower in the 19th century saw itself in chaos going into the 20th century. These chaoses were marked by the new ideas brought in by the new leaders who had emerged eventually into power. Almost every aspect of the Soviet Union was crumbling at this period both politically and socially, as well as the economy. There were underlying reasons for the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and eventually Eastern Europe. The economy is the most significant aspect of every government. The soviet economy was highly centralized with a “command economy” (p.1. fsmitha.com), which had been broken down due to its complexity and centrally controlled with corruption involved in it. A strong government

On the other hand we had the USSR and their approach towards rebuilding Eastern Europe. “Modernization of production in the Soviet bloc opened new technical and bureaucratic careers, but economic development in satellite states remained slow because the USSR bought goods from these satellite states at bargain prices and sold to them exorbitant ones. Despite this inequity, peoples livelihoods

The economy of Eastern Europe in 1700 was based on that of agriculture and products such as wheat and barley because serfdom was still thriving in Russia. The serfs were the labor force and basis of the feudalistic type society until the reign of Alexander II. However, while other nations were becoming modern, the Russia economy was backwards compared to the rest of the world due to the fact that is was based on a form of slavery. But when industrialization occurred in Russia in the 1860s the economy had gradually switched to that manufactured good as factory and industry increased. The railroads from industrialization allowed for easy trade across vast and mountainous territory and also increased global trade with nations in the West as Russia could trade their various natural resources for a profit. However, by 1900 Russian’s economy was collapsing as they were still not industrializing a quick as the West and agricultural technology was not as up to date.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union 1991 many changes have been brought to Europe. After the fall of the Soviet Union newly formed countries of Eastern Europe found themselves brought into a new era, many of the people had relied on the Soviet Union’s system of socialism to help them with every detail of their lives and to dictate their lives but with this newfound freedom citizens had many changes forced upon them. All they once knew had been taken away so suddenly most didn’t know what to do with themselves. The Government, Economy and Marxist Idealism had all fallen with the Soviet Union. Citizens had no choice but to move on with their new lives because it was as their past lives

Another repercussion of the Soviet Union’s collapse was the failure of the economies of almost every new post-Soviet country. Most of the economies of the new Republics were left in shambles after the collapse. In Russia, people were not ready for the new economic freedom that resulted from the fall of Communism. Their unpreparedness led to inflation. “Inflation caused prices to go up three hundred percent in the first month, and 2,591 percent by the end of 1992.”( Russian Economy in the Aftermath of the Collapse of the Soviet Union) Just three years after the Soviet Union’s fall, Russia’s inflation rate had skyrocketed to 2591 percent, evidencing that Russians were not prepared for such a rapid evolution, going from a communist economy into a capitalist economy. All post-Soviet countries had the same economic fate as Russia, plunging into worse economic conditions than the United States suffered during its Great Depression. For example, in 1992, the Ukraine had almost a fifteen percent drop in its gross domestic production and Latvia suffered a 33 percent drop. (GDP growth) Many of these countries’ economies are still suffering as a result of the rapid evolution

· Industrialization in economically less developed sub-regions: Central Asia and the Transcaucasus were targeted for increased industrialization to make these areas less peripheral within the Soviet Union.

The Iron Curtain was a metaphor for the secrecy of the soviet government, and its resistance to outside influence. The fall of the iron curtain allowed soviet citizens to experience outside culture. This is the biggest benefit former republics have encountered. It increased the quality of life for everyone, although some counties, like Poland and the Czech Republic, have prospered more than other countries, like Kazakhstan and Yugoslavia, which are experiencing civil wars.

How did three individuals change not only their lives, but also their countries? Melba Pattillo Beals from the memoir, Warriors Don’t Cry, Jackie Robinson from the autobiography, I Never Had it Made, and Feng Ru from the article, “The Father of Chinese Aviation” written by Rebecca Maksel. Beals, Robinson, and Feng Ru all impacted their countries as well as changing their lives with hard work and dedication.

The many long-term internal causes of the collapse of the Soviet Union centralized around weaknesses in their economy. They had an inflexible central planning system, the inability to modernize, and the inefficiency in their agriculture production. Sometime around the 1970's the computer and automation revolution had emerged. This revolution took over the West, but practically missed the Soviet Union, except in the military sector (Baylis & Smith, 2001.) Gorbachev's goal in economic restructuring was to create a separation between the economic and the political. The major changes began with the legalization of private farming and business co-operatives, and the allowing of foreign company ownership over Soviet enterprises (Baylis &Smith, 2001) All of Gorbachev's ideas on economic restructuring backfired on him since the price levels were inconsistent, and a sense of social confusion about the future of their state was created.

In this paper, I will be covering the country of Russia. During this essay, I will

change was in the lower levels and was had an emphasis on politics instead of

Ever since Communism ended after the election in 1992, Albania has been struggling to recover its economic status. Unlike the past years, where all the jobs were provided for citizens by the government, now people have to look for their own jobs. Teaching people to be independent from the government and to find out what they are going to do for the rest of their life was a struggle which still continues today. As reported in the Trading Economics, the

In March of 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev becomes general secretary of the Communist Party, bringing with him a wave of reform. His reform appeared in the form of a dual program, “perestroika” (to restructure) and “glasnost”(openness), changing the Soviet Union’s domestic governmental policies, economic practices, and international relations- for Gorbachev felt that his goals to improve the Soviet Union’s economy couldn 't be done without reforming the political and social structures as well. Gorbachev hoped that his reforms would reorganize and revive the USSR’s economy, as it had been stagnant since the Brezhnev years. Gorbachev 's ' call for an intense technological modernization was in the hopes of increasing industrial and agricultural productivity in order to increase efficiency and productivity. Whether Gorbachev was successful in his aims of economic rejuvenation will be examined within this essay, by examining perestroika and glasnost.

It is always easier for people who see the need for change and are ready to do something about it to make a long lasting and permanent change. This doesn't mean that change will come easily, of course. We are after all creatures of habit and can find change difficult and discomforting, but at least wanting to change is a good start. Others want to change to receive a positive benefit or not receive a negative conquensce. With some individuals you can link conquences this with the behavior you or others would like. They want to avoid negative consequences. For, example you do not kill someone because you do not want to go to jail. Life should not be like this, but the truth is that human beings are motivated to seek pleasurable expeirences or to avoid painful ones. However, sometimes it is both.