,! ,FAILURE ( ,SOVIET ,PRIVATIZATION 
,:5 0,! ,M>KET0 ,IS ,JU/ ,MONEY ,LAUND]+ ! ,BLOODSOAK$ ,RI*ES ( ,/ATISM 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,WILLIAM ,GILLIS 

,TEXT 3 

,:5 ! ,U,S,S,R FELL ONE ( ! 0PRIVATIZATION0 S*EMES WAS TO JU/ H& WORK]S /OCK C]TIFICATES 9 ! COMPANIES !Y WORK$ AT4 ,! PROBLEM ( C\RSE WAS ?AT ! ECONOMY WAS SEIZ$ UP & EV]YONE WAS />V+4 ,SO GANG/]S & ! *ILDR5 ( ! SOVIET UPP]-CLASS ) ACTUAL MONEY B\<T UP ALL ! C]TIFICATES4 ,!Y HAD FOLKS LIT]ALLY GO >\ND ) :EELB>R[S FULL ( VODKA TRAD+ ONE BOTTLE = A /OCK C]T4 ,?US W]E /ATE 5T]PRISES PROMPTLY H&$ OV] TO ! EXI/+ RI*4 

,?IS IS AN IMPORTANT HI/ORICAL EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT DEMON/RAT$ ) DEVA/AT+ CL>ITY H[ 05TREPR5EURS0 ) A SMALL AM\NT ( UNFAIR SE$ MONEY CAN RAPIDLY TAKE OV] AN 5TIRE ECONOMY & TURN IT 9TO AN OLIG>*Y4 ,! 0PRIVATIZATION0 ( ! ,U,S,S,R PROCE$$ 9 A MANN] ?AT BASICALLY TURN$ ! 5TIRE /ATE ECONOMY OV] TO A FEW OLIG>*S4 ,A SWIT* ( RULE BY ! C5TRAL COMMITTEE TO RULE BY A FEW -- EXACTLY AS EV5 ,RO?B>D EXPLICITLY NOT$ W\LD CON/ITUTE NO REAL *ANGE :ATSOEV]4 

,IT WASN'T A DIRECT H& (F -- !RE W]E EXTRA /EPS -- BUT ! SPE$ AT :I* IT HAPP5$ MAKES 9ESCAPABLE ! FACT ?AT ?IS WASN'T ! EM]G5CE ( SOME NEW PRIVILEG$ CLASS AS ! RESULT ( A NATURAL HI]>*Y1 BUT CLE>LY A SITUATION :]E ! C5TRIFUGAL T5D5CIES ( FREE COMPETITION W]E UTT]LY OV]:ELM$ BY VA/ DISP>ITIES4 

,WE (T5 TALK AB\T ! EGALIT>IAN T5D5CIES & ME*ANISMS1 OR AT LEA/ POT5TIAL1 ( MATURE FRE$ M>KETS1 BUT :ILE A M>KET MI<T HAVE C]TA9 DOM9ANT T5D5CIES NE> AN EGALIT>IAN EQUILIBRIUM TO RETURN TO SU* A /ATE ( AFFAIRS1 NO ONE HAS EV] SUGGE/$ ?AT ?IS WILL BE TRUE = ANY />T+ DI/RIBUTION ( WEAL?4 ,IT IS OBVI\S TO EV]YONE ?AT IF #a PEOPLE [N #i#i4#i#i.0 ( ! WORLD !IR BUY+ P[] WILL BE LEV]AGEABLE TO KEEP ! RE/ 9 SLAV]Y4 ,! ISSUE ( SIGNIFICANT CONT5TION IS :]E ! TRANSITION PO9T MI<T BE BETWE5 A DI/RIBUTION ( WEAL? :]E C5TRIFUGAL T5D5CIES DOM9ATE TO A DI/RIBUTION ( WEAL? :]E C5TRALIZ+ ACCUMULATIVE T5D5CIES DOM9ATE4 

,! OPTIMI/IC W\LD PUT ?IS PO9T QUITE HI<1 CLAIM+ = EXAMPLE1 ?AT EV5 IF #a.0 ( ! POPULATION [N$ #i#i.0 ( ! WEAL?1 )\T A /ATE APP>ATUS OR SIMIL> VIOL5T MEANS TO CAPTURE & USE TO DEF5D ?IS WEAL?1 SU* A SOCIETY W\LD EV5TUALLY ]ODE SAID ECONOMIC PRIVILEGE AWAY4 ,BUT :AT'S LESS EXAM9$ :5 !SE DECL>ATIONS >E TRAD$ IS ! SPE$ AT :I* SU* ]OSION W\LD OCCUR4 ,BECAUSE LET'S BE CLE>3 !RE C]TA9LY WAS SOME ]OSION 9 SOME CONTEXTS 9 ! COLLAPSE ( ! ,U,S,S,R4 ,( C\RSE ?IS ]OSION CAME ALONGSIDE ! REMOVAL ( ! WELF>E SY/EMS ?AT HAD BE5 ABSOLUTELY NECESS>Y TO KEEP AN 5SLAV$ POPULACE ALIVE1 :I* MEANT ?AT ! NET IMPACT WAS A CATA/ROPHE ( HUMAN SUFF]+4 ,BUT EV5 9 LIMIT$ BUBBLES :]E C5TRIFUGAL EFFECTS DOM9AT$ OV] ACCUMULATIVE ONES1 ! OV]ALL 9EQUALITY WAS (T5 /ILL SO %>P AS TO MAKE ?AT DIFFUSION RELATIVELY SL[4 ,& ULTIMATELY :AT FUCK+ MATT] IS IT IF ! M>KET WILL EV5TUALLY ]ODE AWAY TITANIC 9EQUALITY IF HORDES ( PEOPLE >E />V+ TO DEA? TODAY8 ,! %>PE/ CRITIQUE ( \R NEOLIB]AL GLOBAL REGIME ISN'T ?AT IT HAS MADE PEOPLE MORE MIS]ABLE OV] TIME1 BUT ?AT IT HAS NOT LIB]AT$ ANY:]E NE> FA/ 5\<4 

,AN>*I/S -- ESPECIALLY LEFT M>KET AN>*I/S -- CANNOT AF=D TO FAIL TO GRAPPLE ) :Y ! ,U,S,S,R'S 0PRIVATIZATION0 PROCESS FAIL$ SO SPECTACUL>LY TO CREATE ANY?+ REMOTELY NE> AN EGALIT>IAN ROBU/LY COMPETITIVE M>KET4 

,SURE !RE W]E /RUCTURAL DYNAMICS ( /ATE CAPTURE1 BUT ! ALMO/ IMM$IATE C5TRALIZATION ( WEAL? ?AT HAPP5$ UPON ! DI/RIBUTION ( /OCK C]TIFICATES WASN'T ACTIVELY %EPH]D$ ALONG BY ! /ATE4 ,! SOME:AT RI* GR[+ 9TO ! RIDICUL\SLY RI* HAPP5$ SPONTANE\SLY4 ,NOR ( C\RSE CAN EV5 ! REACTION>IES :O LOVE TO DODD] ON AB\T 0NATURAL HI]>*IES01 OR O!R SU* FASCI/ G>BAGE1 MAKE ANY PRET5SE ( A CASE4 ,WE CAN'T BLAME ANIMALI/IC TIME-PREF]5CES1 NO ONE BESIDE ! EXI/+ RI* HAD ! CAPITAL TO BUY UP A CONTROLL+ AM\NT ( /OCK1 & ! BUS9ESSES ?OSE /OCK C]TIFICATES REF]R$ TO W]E L>GELY GO+ TO BE LOS+ 5DEAVORS = YE>S TO COME4 ,9F9ITESIMAL /OCK ?AT WON'T PAY \T = YE>S IF IT PAYS \T ANY?+1 9 A COMPANY Y\ KN[ FIR/-H& IS BE+ CATA/ROPHICALLY & SY/EMICALLY MISMANAG$1 OR A BOTTLE ( VODKA8 ,Y\'RE FUCK+ KIDD+ Y\RSELF IF Y\ ?9K Y\ W\LDN'T TAKE ! LATT] TO AT LEA/ NUMB ! HUNG] :ILE Y\ FAIL TO BE PAID = MON?S OR YE>S4 

,!RE W]E MANY MANY CONTRIBUT+ ASPECTS TO ! CATA/ROPHIC OLIG>*IZATION ( #iS ,RUSSIA1 BUT ! ?REE BIG ONES W]E #a7 LOTS ( PEOPLE W]E LEFT DESP]ATE )\T BASIC NE$S1 #b7 ! RI* FROM ! OLD REGIME W]E NEV] FUCK+ DEALT )1 ?US ALL[+ !M TO PR$ATORILY LEV]AGE !IR CAPITAL :ILE EV]YONE ELSE WAS AT A DISADVANTAGE1 & #c7 ! H&OV] ( WORKPLACES COPI$ ! 9T5SELY HI]>*ICAL & C5TRALIZ$ MODEL ( WE/]N CAPITALI/ FIRMS -- 0WORK] [N]%IP0 9 SOME V]Y AB/RACT & WAT]$ D[N WAY BUT NOT DIRECT WORKPLACE DEMOCRACY4 

,!ORETICALLY BE+ ABLE TO VOTE ON AN AGGREGATE BLOC ONCE 9 A BLUE MOON AT A %>EHOLD] MEET+ IS A LOT LIKE GETT+ TO VOTE EV]Y F\R YE>S = A MAYOR :O APPO9TS ! POLICE *IEF :O APPO9TS ! COPS ?AT CONT9UE TO MURD] Y\R NEI<BORS4 ,!RE IS NO DIRECT ACC\NTABILITY1 ! MANAGEM5T CAN /AY UTT]LY 9SULAT$ & CAPRICI\S1 !RE IS NO DIRECT 9VOLVEM5T OR CAPACITY EV5 TO LEV]AGE Y\R FIR/H& KN[L$GE ON ! %OP FLOOR1 & !RE IS ( C\RSE1 NO MEAN+FUL 9C5TIVIZATION FROM /OCK OPTIONS TO HELP ! BUS9ESS DO WELL 9 A BLOAT$ FIRM :]E Y\R CONTRIBUTIONS >E RAPIDLY AV]AG$ AWAY4 

,! TAKEAWAYS = AN>*I/S >E OBVI\S3 

,IF & :5 WE OV]?R[ ! /ATE @& UNLEA% A FRE$ M>KET WE WILL NOT SUCCE$ UNLESS WE ALSO BUILD BASIC NE$S 9FRA/RUCTURE = ! POOR_/DISABL$_/ETC1 TAKE EV]Y?+ BACK FROM ! RI*1 & ?AT ! /RUCTURES WE ADOPT TO ORGANIZE \RSELVES >E ( 9T5SE IMPORTANCE4 ,A CRISIS SITUATION IS NOT ! TIME TO BE HAPHAZ>DLY LE>N+ FROM PRAXIS1 ?AT IS TO SAY TRIAL-&-]ROR1 MU* LESS FROM BL9DLY P]PETUAT+ A MODEL 9H]IT$ FROM SOME /ATUS QUO4 

,BUT ANO!R BIG TAKEAWAY %\LD BE ?AT IT'S AS SILLY TO ASK 0:]E IS ! VICTIM0 OR PRET5D ?AT ! BILLIONAIRES 9 \R PRES5T SOCIETY >E SOMEH[ FUCK+ NOT 5TIRELY DEP5D5T UPON A HI/ORY ( TITANIC /ATE VIOL5CE AS IT W\LD BE TO PRET5D SO ) ! ,RUSSIAN OLIG>*S4 ,:ILE ! 9DIVIDUALS 9VOLV$ MAY FLUCTUATE TO SOME DEGREE1 9T5SELY 9EGALIT>IAN DI/RIBUTIONS ( WEAL? HAVE !IR [N MOM5TUM4 ,AFT] ATROCITIES LIKE ! 5CLOSURES1 SLAV]Y1 IMP]IALISM1 & G5OCIDE1 SCALES ( CAPITAL 9VE/M5T BECOME POSSIBLE ?AT NEV] W]E BE=E1 LEAD+ TO A /ICK9ESS ( OV]ALL WEAL?4 ,TITANIC BILLIONS >E MADE (F ! /ATE 5=C$ C5SOR%IP REGIME ( 9TELLECTUAL PROP]TY444 & ?IS IS PROMPTLY US$ AS SE$ MONEY TO CREATE />TUPS CAPABLE ( UND]SELL+ COMPETITORS1 DRIV+ \T ! COMPETITION & UTILIZ+ NETWORK EFFECTS ?AT W\LD BE UNREA*ABLE ) LESS 9ITIAL CAPITAL TO E/ABLI% !MSELVES AS MONOPOLI/IC MIDDLEM54 ,! P]V]SITY ( SEV]E ECONOMIC 9EQUALITY IS SELF-P]PETUAT+1 & IT MATT]S NOT ?AT IT TRAVELS ?R\< A FEW TUMBL]S1 LAUND]$ 9 V>I\S WAYS1 ! V]Y FACT ?AT !RE >E BILLIONS ( DOLL>S TO BE MADE IS ! PRODUCT ( A HI/ORY ( IMM5SE OPPRESSION & VIOL5CE4 ,9 ?IS ! ONLY DIFF]5CE BETWE5 ! ,U,S,S,R & ! ,AM]ICAN ,EMPIRE IS A W>P+ ( SOME TIMESCALES4 

,FROM 3 ,!,AN>*I/,LIBR>Y4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,JANU>Y #b#a1 #bba 3 ,! ,FAILURE ( ,SOVIET ,PRIVATIZATION -- ,ADD$4 
,JANU>Y #f1 #bbb 3 ,! ,FAILURE ( ,SOVIET ,PRIVATIZATION -- ,UPDAT$4 

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