Why did Communism fail in Soviet Russia?

a reply to: Astyanax

It is probably fair enough to describe the Soviet Union as communist in the same way it is OK to describe the United States as Capitalist. Useful as a shorthand but not very technically accurate,

Would agree that the Soviet Union failed as a political system but the measures by which it did so are mainly pretty subjective (but certainly not wrong) .

Russia in 1917 would have failed on pretty much any measure that Marx envisaged as being ready for communism.

a reply to: ScepticScot

Russia in 1917 would have failed on pretty much any measure that Marx envisaged as being ready for communism.

Exactly.

In fact, it spent twelve years — the period from the people’s Revolution of 1905 until the October Revolution of the Bolsheviks — demonstrating precisely that.

Russia is still in thrall to the principle of autocracy that Nicholas II abdicated in order not to compromise.

a reply to: optimisitcplanet

No because I would work 12 hours and have twice as much stuff as you do. I would also buy used stuff cheap and sell them a bit higher and have even more stuff than you do. Then you would be upset about it and raise all kinds of hell about how unfair it is that I have so much more than you.