Nostalgia for Communism in Post-Communist Countries (Essay Sample)

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Political Philosophy: Nostalgia for Communism in Post-Communist Countries
THESIS: People’s unhappiness is due to the results of the transition from USSR to present states. Based on the accounts of people who lived under the communist government in the former USSR, life was better back then than now. One survey found that up to 64 percent of Russian citizens, who had attained the age of ten years and above under the communist regimestate, indicated that the quality of life at the time was better than it is currently. Twenty-five years after the fall of USSR in 1991, regimes citizens in nine out of the 15 states that were members of the USSR have expressed the opinion that the quality of life was better back then (Stewart). This paper argues that life in the USSR was better compared to how it is now for the citizens, living in the post-soviet countries. In advancing this argument, the first part of the paper will examine current economic indicators in post USSR countries and indicators in the USSR. The second part of the paper will support the argument using political theories developed by Marx and Engels before coming to a conclusion.
Life The Current Economic Indicators in Post- USSR Countries and Life Economic Indicators in the USSR
A survey conducted by the Guardian (2016) Guardian sought to examine the performance of the former soviet Soviet countries as independent countries twenty years after the union was dissolved. The survey utilized sources from organizations and agencies, suchagencies such as the Happy Planet Index, the World Bank, the UN Crime Trends Survey, and the UNHCR. Moreover, the researchers went through all the reports published by the OSCE on each election since 1991 and assessed whether those c the countries were being more democratic compared to the past (Rice-Oxley, Sedghi, and Ridley).
The dissolution of the USSR was a shocking experience to the member countries because the countries had co-owned huge infrastructures, which were that was difficult to break up. For instance, the countries jointly owned military units, industries, and citizenpopulations from each member country, spread across the USSR. In addition, the economic turmoil that caused the disintegration of the union greatly affected the economies of the member states that were emerging. For instance, some states like Russia experienced a 50 percent decline in theirits GDP in the 1990s because of tax avoidance, capital flight, hyperinflation, and industrial collapse that accompanied the disintegration (Rice-Oxley et al.).
In the 2000s, some of the post-soviet countries experienced an economic rebound, for example, the GDP of some countries grew almost five times as much as what they were in 1991. The rise in the cost of energy assisted countries that were exporters of oil, such as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Even countries that were struggling economically like Armenia and Moldova started to grow in the 1990s. The survey done by the Guardian found that the economies of the former soviet countries have grown four times, but they have still continued to experience occasional convulsions (Rice-Oxley et al.).
However, an examination of the level of population in these countries paints a different picture. For instance, three former members of the USSR have lost 10 percent of their population, and these countries include Estonia, Armenia, and Moldova. Estonia has experienced a significant increase in life expectancy, but based on international standards the Estonia, Armenia, and Moldova scountries score poorly on the wellbeing and happiness scale. This means that the citizens of these countries were more happy and satisfied under the communist government. Nevertheless, the three countries have demonstrated an excellent democratic record (Rice-Oxley et al.).
The former soviet countries that border the EU, such as Moldova, Belarus, and Ukraine, have had a tougher independence process. For example, in the 1990s, Moldova and Ukraine underwent through hard economic times when the GDP of the two countries fell by over 50 percent. Belarus is among the countries that have suffered less economic turmoil in all the post-soviet countries, even though the country was under the dictatorship of Alexander Lukashenko from 1994. However, compared to all the 15 former soviet states, Belarus has poor economic figures, its population has declined by over 10 percent, and the life expectancy has fallen significantly (Rice-Oxley et al.).
Concerning democracy, Moldova has the best performance because the country has had several free and fair elections, and the first post-soviet republic to vote for a communist, Vladimir Voronin, again. The 2009 elections in Moldova were characterized by civil unrest, and the russophones living in the Transdniestr region have asked for secession.
In addition, the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine led to stalemate and paralysis and left the country sharply divided between nationalists in the west and russophone east (Rice-Oxley et al.). The president of Belarus, Lukashenko, has been isolated internationally for a long time for dismantling the opposition and rigging elections.
Evidence indicated citizens in the former soviet state that border the EU had a better life in the USSR than now, especially in terms of political and economic stability (Rice-Oxley et al.).
Among the post-soviet countries that lie in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan is one of the best performing economies because of its oil revenue. Furthermore, the country is among the few former soviet republics that have a growing population. The states of Georgia and Armenia have both witnessed their economic growth halted by the global recession that occurred from 2008 to 2009 (Rice-Oxley et al.). The cold conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan called the Nagorno-Karabakh and the conflict with Georgia have caused the two countries economic and political price, and in the case of Georgia, conflict with Russia in 2008 resulted into the only war ever fought between two former members of the USSR (Rice-Oxley et al.).
Currently, Armenia is affected by the worst rate of unemployment in all the 15 post USSR states. In terms of democracy, only Georgia has had free and fair election among the post-soviet nations of the Caucasus. Nevertheless, life expectancy has gone up in this region, and infant mortality rates have fallen significantly (Rice-Oxley et al.). Countries that were former members of the union located in central Asia, such as Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, have had mixed economic outcome since the union disintegrated. For instance, countries like Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have succeeded in growing their economies by 400 percent since the breakup. Other former soviet members located in central Asia include Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan that have experienced modest economic growth (Rice-Oxley et al.).
The population of the entire former soviet countries in central Asia has grown, but life expectancy has remained the same at 60 years. Countries in central Asia are said to be the happiest of all the Former Soviet Republicsmembers, according to a survey done by the Happy Planet Index (BBC). However, since 1990, none of the central Asian former soviet countries has had fair elections. In these countries, the incumbent dictators win elections by 99 percent of the total votes cast through jailing their opponents and engaging in other electoral malpractices. Concerning leadership, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have completely moved away from the communist ideology, and the dictators, who steered the countries out of the Soviet Union, lead the countries (BBC).
As mentioned above, tThe survey done by the Guardian also revealed that under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, the economy of Russia has grown and it is now twice as big as it was in 1990 and four times larger than it was in 2000. In spite of the economic growth, from 1991 Russia has lost 7 million people, and life expectancy in the country has fallen below 70 years because of various problems that include chronic alcohol and drug abuse. In addition, Russia has the highest prevalence of HIV followed by Ukraine, and the country has the highest rates of murder and the largest population of prisoners (Rice-Oxley et al.).
Surveys by the Global Peace Index ranks Russia near the bottom. The Russian elections that used to be pluralistic in the USSR era are now forgone. For instance, once governors are elected, in the subsequent elections they are appointed. This is an indication that even though the Russian economy has grown bigger than it was in the Soviet Union, the population is still unhappy because of high deaths, disease, and dictatorial leadership (Rice-Oxley et al.).
A survey done by Gallup found that 59 percent of the citizens of the former Soviet republics that took part in the survey indicated that their countries were experiencing a higher cost of living than they did under the USSR. Participants who took part in the study acknowledged that life has deteriorated from the time the Soviet Union collapsed, and some of the areas that the countries have done poorly in include education, healthcare and housing (Guadalupe). Under the Soviet government, housing was heavily subsidized, and this is why 61 percent of the people who took part in the survey stated that housing was less affordable now. Moreover, 42 percent of the participants stated that the condition of housing in the former Soviet republics is worse than it were under the union (Guadalupe).
The survey mentioned above also found similar sentiments when examining education and healthcare. The survey found that approximately 55 percent of the participants indicated that healthcare that was provided freely under the Soviet government has now become less affordable. On the same note, the respondent i...