ABSTRACT
The Soviet economic system, like the dinosaurs, ceased to exist. If survival denotes success, it failed. With dinosaurs, we look for the change in their environment that brought about their extinction. In the case of the Soviet economy, there is a temptation to look instead for fundamental defects that would have brought about the economy’s downfall eventually, under any circumstances. This temptation exists because of the fundamental issues of social doctrine that surround our judgements on Soviet history. The dinosaurs have less chance to engage our deepest social and political beliefs.
