Soviet history reads like science fiction or fantasy in the 21st century and it is truly inspiring the level of collective drive the USSR had in charting a forward path for humanity. No other project has been approached with more sincerity and intellectual pursuit.

All this to say that it’s disheartening to see leftists suggest the soviet union was a failed endeavor by pointing towards China’s economic success. Quite frankly, with all due respect to the People’s Republic, what China has done so far is nothing compared to what the USSR accomplished and tried to accomplish.

[–] xiaohongshu@hexbear.net 41 points 1 month ago

Agreed. This is not to say China’s different path to socialism is not viable, but that if we’re being honest, while China has achieved great economic success, the working conditions is not something to be envied of (on average, we’re working longer hours than every single country in the world despite an exponential growth in productivity).

If anything, it is a testament to the fact that the Soviet Union represented a true and unique alternative that defied contemporary Western economic models - one that achieved its success without having to sacrifice worker’s rights nor having to rely on foreign capital investment.