It's all doable, but you're maintaining thousands of kilometers of liquid nitrogen cooled track magnets, and while your energy consumption may still be lower than a plane's per passenger, that's because planes use a LOT of energy in the form of jet fuel.
That issue was resolved by only needing one of the two to be superconducting to get the free levitation effect, so everyone chose the train for rather obvious reasons, as that's an item that only needs power when actually used and allows the track to be at local temperature. As such only your train needs a cooling system.
For commercial aviation that energy budget is expressed as a fuel budget. If we're aspiring to be carbon-neutral it has to come out of nuclear reactors or some other such source.
That's a fair enough point, though it's worth noting that modern refineries actually use a surprising amount of power. And also that infra structure costs to build the amount of refineries needed to produce sufficient fuel, as well as all those plane engines, etc would probably get you a good way along the path of building such a power plant as well. So in that sense the resource usage to an extent is kind of what you decided to expend it on.
Another way of looking at this is that ultimately nuclear power delivers pretty competitive electric prices long term with other power sources like fossil fuels, so total resource investment costs are probably not all that different between the two.
I'd as such argue it's kind of a choice one makes upfront on what kind of energy mix one wants to have long term. Each option has its pros and cons and it's up to people to decide which ones they favor more, but I don't think the cost of energy is really one of those trade offs as such.
Well, in a lot of areas, there isn't a clear bright division between "newest and shiniest" and "reliable and tough."
What does it mean for our nuclear reactors to be "reliable and tough" as opposed to "new and shiny?" Do you imagine someone intentionally designing unreliable, fragile nuclear reactors? We're definitely trying to avoid that, but not just for export. It's a straightforward desire to avoid Chernobyls.
What does it mean for us to devise "reliable and tough" spacecraft for an export market?
What, exactly, does a "reliable, tough" train not have as a design tradeoff? Are you talking "shave 10 km/h off the top design speed and add more safety features?" Or are you talking "fuckit, keep using diesel engines instead of electric because it's got a more rugged, manly aesthetic?"
A apologize and let me clarify, I approve of safe and reliable designs that can be maintained by adequately trained staff with available spare parts. We should incorporate the latest safety features and design with modules in mind so we can replace and upgrade parts over time. We also should look at equipment that can endure everything from deserts, to swamps, to tundra with minimal changes. Now I understand that I may be going beyond current technology and budgets at this time but I believe in a broad approach. I think that showing the average person in the Socialist World the benefits of science, design and worker involvement we can cut down on dissent and dissatisfaction.
A few turns ago when they put a hard cap on our space spending and forced us to cancel projects until we were under it, I don't have any special information beyond that but they've already forced us to do mechanical budget cuts and presumably will again in the future.
OK. But keep in mind, that hard cap is 1.2% of total GDP. Meanwhile, at the peak of NASA funding in 1966, it was getting 0.73% of US GDP (source for federal budget here, source for NASA budget here)
In 1973, the year after Apollo 17, the NASA budget was 0.23% of US GDP - and the lowest NASA budget ever in inflation-adjusted dollars (not in % of GDP, which comes in the 21st Century) in 1980 was 0.17% of GDP. As such, if even the worst case cuts happen, we'll have 0.3% of GDP going into the space program. And if we are being told that the 0.3% of GDP going into the space program is sustainable, in other words, both proportional peak funding and proportional worst-case long term funding are close to twice what the US put into space in OTL, that tells us that the SupSov are not anti-space at all. Indeed, it looks like they are extremely pro-space, and likely to stay extremely pro-space. It is just that their enthusiasm has limits.
Which is fair enough really.
But enthusiasm that has limits his hardly the same as opposition. Or even being neutral on space. To miss-read the room and over-cut the space budget and instead invest only in the extremely necessary but politically boring things the USSR needs is likely to provoke a backlash from the giant pile of nerds that is the Supreme Soviet.
I think that there's an argument to be made that many of the civilian tech advances in the 70s that would make a moonshot cheaper came from running a moon launch in the 60s. Microchips and electronics development in particular were pushed forward by the space program pretty heavily, with Apollo alone eating something like 60% of the entire integrated circuit production of the US by 1963.
I also wonder whether whatever textiles and plastics we develop during the decade would be up for the kind of extreme environment resistance needed for a suit to walk on the moon if we didn't have a moonshot goal specifically pushing for something that could handle them, or if in absence of that pressure they'll only be developed to handle use on earth in an atmosphere under an ozone shield, since that's cheaper to make and the primary use case for the vast majority of our materials that aren't going to space.
While there probably around going to be a few things we could piggyback off of, I wouldn't expect a moonshot attempt in the 70s from a timeline when we didn't do one in the 60s to be as affordable as an attempt in the 70s from a timeline when we did.
Hm, well, the Apollo program was the biggest customer for ICs from 1961 to 1965, and the advanced textiles in the NASA moonsuit were probably similarly mostly being sold to NASA. But all the technologies had already been invented, and at least in the case of the electronics they were technologies that were in high demand already. I'm less sure of the textiles. NASA might have helped these sectors scale up. But against this, lots of money was invested into technology that was already obsolete by the time the moonlandings happened (like the hand-woven magnetic core memory used by the Apollo guidance computer).
Now, the Apollo program did lead to a large demand for engineers, give them a large amount of experience doing cutting edge stuff and give them a very shiny thing on their CV. It also brought those engineers into close proximity where they could swap ideas and the money on high-tech NASA centers hither and yon stimulated alot of high tech industry in the (even today) less industrial south, which also greatly boosted the economies around those NASA centers. As such, I'm sure that the Apollo program did stimulate US technological development, but I'll bet that it had very little impact in the short term (up to the 1970s) and a huge impact when measured over the 50 years since it started. As such, I expect it was the investment into people and places that had the most impact, not the specific choice of goal (though whether another goal would have persuaded Congress to make similar investments in uplifting the southern states is another question).
Generally speaking, the biggest change in timeline has been a far more military run program then OTL. Less emphasis on achievements and more on ICBM technology and spy sats. Larger number of enlarged super versions of the OTL Titan platforms, more SRB based designs, more modular designs. It fucks their moon goal, but their also mostly going for a militarized program anyway, and there is no photogenic Kennedy that managed to martyr himself.
So something like the 1960 USAF SLS? Or maybe something like Martin Marietta's proposal for the "Barbarian" launch vehicle.
That makes me more optimistic that we can win the moon race. Though such a vehicle could support a competent space program. For as long as the US is cranking out new solid rockets like sausages for use as nuclear launch vehicles, the costs should be fairly reasonable. I don't expect a giant Titan-style vehicle to age well, but if it is good for the 1960s, that's all it has to be to make trouble for us. And even if they can't make it big enough to launch more than 40 tonnes, that would still be enough to assemble a multi-launch moonship with about 3 launches.
The more comforting angle here is the lack of ambition on show.
I guess this makes me wonder if the cap would go up a bit if the economy of the USSR grew a lot. Possibly it won't, in which case I guess we'll be dropping in relative spending a fair bit over the years. Well, so long as the USSR manage to sustain substantial growth still that is.
The primary advantage of HSR over air travel is going to be trading time for cost the next few decades, a plane will definitely get you where you want to be faster than our HSR network, especially since the USSR is literally the biggest country on the planet and airport security doesn't exist. But plane tickets are going to be out of the reach of your average worker for anything but very special occasions until like... the 80's/90's at minimum. Air travel was a very high cost luxury the first few decades it was commercially available, it's still not exactly cheap today OTL and that's after decades of trying to make it as cheap and "efficient" (read: cattle car conditions) as possible. Right now and for the forseeable future the main people who will be flying in our USSR are gonna be like politicians, senior bureaucrats and engineers, etc., not random steelworkers trying to take their yearly vacation to the Black Sea or whatever.
Honestly, the big thing we should shoot for in trains is affordability and comfort. Yes, you could buy a air ticket, but why do that when you can get say, 3 train tickets, have a better experience, and see the great Soviet Union?
Make it so you fly if you need to get there fast, but otherwise, you should take a train. It also allows us to simplify logisitcs and enhance any military options if we have tracks laid down.
Argue the capitalists want to make flying cattle cars to make it "affordable", whereas in here, they have a slower, but comfier, safer way to travel.
Decisively Strike at Wages (1*5)+87=92
Weigh in on CMEA Trade Negotiations (1*5)+7=12 Defend Space Prioritization (1*5)+72=77
Uphold the Red Book (1*5)+18=23
Determine Coalitional Alignments (1*5)+77=82
Advocate Cross CMEA Standardization (1*5)+94=99
Accelerate Rural Development Programs (1*5)+96=101
Negotiate with Kosygin and Podgorny (2*5)+35+64=109
Open Containerization Programs (1*5)+81=86
Expand Rural Housing Programs
Direct the University Program (1*5)+40=45
Determine Coalitional Alignments (1*5)+75=80
Notably, unless currency agitation was a trap, he basically aced all CMEA rolls, which will definitely smooth over one of the road blocks that can stop this government and probably have real long term benefits.
Notably, unless currency agitation was a trap, he basically aced all CMEA rolls, which will definitely smooth over one of the road blocks that can stop this government and probably have real long term benefits.
I don't think it was, it might fuck over some countries though, since they won't be able to unilaterally move to fiat currency without us doing so as well, which considering the problems gold backed currency has and will become very evident in the medium term... yea.
On that note, it might delay the switch for us as well, but I think the benefits outweigh the cons in our case specifically. And the ball is in our court for moving away from a gold backed currency.
Anyway, my take away from looking at this is we should tone down while we are ahead. We don't need to do reforms every turn, and not every reform is necessarily worth doing (though we have had good ones so far).
Omake: The Queue.
Content warning: male chauvinism and coarse language.
An old military surplus truck sat in a queue. The queue passed through some rural town that Sergey had never heard of, somewhere between Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk. This town was on the main road between the two cities, perhaps half of the way along the road. Sergey, the truck, and his shiftmate Pavel had been sat there for 30 minutes already.
"You got any cards, comrade?" Pavel asked. He knew the answer, but asked anyway in vain hope.
"No, they got wrecked when Danilov knocked over his beer last game. You should know, you were there! Do you have cards?"
"No, that rat-whore Illya ratted me out to the manager and she took them off me, the whore. She said gambling was un-communist!" Pavel spat out the window. "Ptuh! Un-communist my ass, she just hates fun, the stuck-up whore."
Whilst anything to relieve the boredom would've been a relief, Sergey was quietly glad that neither of them had cards to play. Last time he'd joined a game he had lost most of his cigarettes. He had to ration the rest so that he could last the month, and losing them all in a game would be torture.
Sergey and Pavel were railway engineers, they'd been deployed from Tomsk after a train had reported unusual bumpiness on a stretch of the Trans-Siberian. They were supposed to be inspecting the track, tightening up the ties if necessary, or reporting back if there was a more serious defect. Unfortunately, they couldn't do that because of the queue, so they were sitting still instead. They were very, very, bored, and still six kilometres away from where they were supposed to access the track. Neither man was unfit, but neither felt like lugging their heavy tools on a two hour hike through rural Siberia.
"What on earth is wrong with these people, causing a pile-up at five in the morning?" Sergey moaned. "Don't they have anything better to do out here?"
"Yeah, the whores should go milk their cows or something. The whoreing Politburo won't be happy if they don't get their whoreing ice cream". Pavel agreed. He paused. "Though if the whores got purged at least we wouldn't be stuck in this whoreing traffic jam! Eh, Comrade?" He added darkly.
Pavel had a way with words. Sergey had long since gotten used to it.
A horn blared angrily behind the truck, provoking Pavel into leaning out the window and shouting "Shut the hell up, you whore-dog! Can't you see that we can't move either?". There was no possible way the driver behind them would be able to see past the truck, and yet Sergey wholeheartedly shared the sentiment. Did the dastard think he was sitting here for fun?
"I'll go have a look. Waiting around like this reminds me too much of the whoreing army" Pavel volunteered. "Hey! Maybe a beautiful woman has broken down in the middle of the road and needs a handsome man like me to fix her car for her!"
"With a face like yours, you might scare the car into moving just by looking at it" Sergey shot back. Pavel wasn't actually all that ugly, but acidic banter was the only way that Sergey could deal with him sometines.
"Haha, if that's all it takes then I'd be the best mechanic in the whole Soviet Union! How could she not fall for me? Bella Ciao!" Pavel jumped out of the truck and was soon out of sight, leaving Sergey alone.
"And now what do I do?" He muttered to himself. He blew on the window, misting it up, then drew a smiley face with his finger, before quickly wiping it out with his forearm. He didn't need Pavel teasing him about his childishness for the rest of the shift. Instead he closed his eyes.
It was too cold to sleep properly because he'd had to turn the engine off. The manager back at base was obsessed with efficiency and would raise hell if Sergey idled the engine for warmth. Still, Sergey managed to rest his eyes at least, and may have even slipped out of consciousness for five minutes at some point. Midnight was not a good time to wake up for work.
It took Pavel roughly 40 minutes to return. "You'll never guess it!" He announced, opening the passenger door but remaining outside for now.
"You are now the proud husband of a beautiful woman?" Sarcasm dripped from each of Sergey's words.
"No, not ye. Some son of a whore overfilled his truck with grain and managed to tip the thing over, blocking the whole damn road! And, even for a guy, the whore was an ugly bastard. Looked like he'd had the pox at least three times."
"You're shitting me" Sergey sighed and reached into his pocket for one of his precious few remaining cigarettes."Can we go around somehow?"
"Not unless you want to detour a whole fifty kilometres north." Pavel replied, swinging himself up into the truck and slamming the door behind him. "I spoke to some guys on the way back and they say the only other way through the town crosses some shitty bridge that couldn't even take a donkey!"
"Curses! So we're stuck here? Has anyone called to have the whore towed yet?" Sergey hated slipping into Pavel's habit, but it had a way of sneaking in when he let his guard down.
" They're going to be another 90 minutes, if there's no delays".
Sergey spat out his window in disgust before lighting his cigarette and taking a long, angry, drag on it. Pavel closed his eyes and lifted his feet up to rest them on the dashboard
Sergey and Pavel were railway engineers, they'd been deployed from Tomsk after a train had reported unusual bumpiness on a stretch of the Trans-Siberian.
I have to note - Tomsk is not actually on the Trans-Siberian per se, the city had to be connected to it by a separate line. If there's a problem somewhere on the stretch close to Krasnoyarsk, it would make more sense for the engineers to set out of Novosibirsk.
Jeeze, would Soviet truck drivers of this era really be that sexist?
The other content warning here is Infrastructure Gore. Clearly, we need more roads. We'll get to that.... probably two turns from now. With the crap infra rolls this turn next one will be spent making up the gap. Dang metros...
Despite the sheer amount of technological work necessary for the RLA, the rocket itself has started to be shaped, with the engines at full scale stand testing, and most of the structural elements designed, if not yet evaluated at scale. Finalized designs are tending towards a standardized three hundred and eighty ton primary lower block, utilizing a 7.8MN closed cycle kerosene engine. This change and continued limitations of engine design have altered the main design, with a penta-block pushed forward rather than the septa-block as a primary lunar rocket. Effective orbital tonnage that is expected from the craft has been reduced to eighty, but the aerodynamic and acceleration forces have partially forced such a change. This has come as a result of modeling calculations, expecting massive gravity losses from launch profiles relying on a 4-2-1 core scheme, with a simpler 4-1 scheme preferred due to lack of thrust. Salvaged expertise from the hydrogen engine design program has also been applied at length to the new launcher. As the expander cycle designs have been rendered impractical, a second stage open cycle cryogenic engine designed to deliver a MN of thrust has been pushed forward at all speed.
Second transfer window Venera launches have failed, with the orbiter losing contact on leaving the earth's sphere of influence due to some form of interference, and the impactor having a similar issue. Both launches were done on the older standardized bus, so not that much was expected, but intensive work has started to fix whatever errors were found and work on the standardized bus before the Mars launch date. We have already secured a Venusian flyby, and while the Americans are only now launching one, it is absolutely critical that nothing goes wrong on the Mars attempt. It would not be the best image to lose the first automated flyby just because vacuum packing electronics are exceedingly unreliable and questionable.
Continued Vostok launches have so far avoided any issues, and while one has failed to attain the precise orbit needed, the mission was still otherwise a success. Four separate cosmonauts have now flown into orbit, with a long duration flight of a day attempted in order to more totally determine the effects of prolonged weightlessness. Medical impacts have been noted, but at such short durations they have been relatively mild, some lessons have been made for future spacecraft designs, but a true long duration flight is necessary to accurately measure them. The Americans for their part have conducted two more launches of men to orbit with a more stable trajectory then their first launch, but without many notable changes. Vostok itself as a program however is expected to close at this point, as a new capsule is needed for two-crew launches and the RLA system is already showing significant promise.
The finalization of the abort system program has been integrated with the older Vostok capsules and practically incorporated into the new generation of capsules under design. Current escape systems for the Vostok are limited to an escape tower, but the new capsule will have an integral system to boost it away from any detonation along with the ability for the crew to bail out under most flight paths. A degree of ruggedness and automation in parachute activation has also been incorporated, with a secondary parachute built in to ensure that the capsule can in the event of total failure cut away the primary chutes and still make a rough but survivable landing. Weight additions from such tasks are significant, but the actual efficiency loss across the entire rocket system is expected to be minimal.
Work on vacuum electronics and the general Luna program itself have both progressed at a decent pace, with plans pushed forward to utilize far more complicated electronics to affect a landing. The propulsive landing itself is expected to be accomplished by a small sorable propelent engine, delivering a payload from a triblock RLA onto the surface of the moon. The lander itself is going to be a massive thing, as the tasks involved in an automated moon landing are complex, and a healthy degree of margin will not have a significant negative impact. Work on the guidance computer for the first lander has already tentatively started, as being able to make sense of radar altimeter information will be critical towards successfully landing.
At this point, the PKA has entered full scale aerodynamic testing, with a fully functional test craft made for basic flights. A testing system of dropping it from several bombers in a similar process to previous space planes has already been approved and pushed into production. For all the technical failures of the project and the complexity of a re-entry capable aerodynamic shape, the little shoe-like craft should by all calculations be capable of doing it. Return payloads of up to just a ton are expected, but having two cosmonauts and being able to maneuver in a landing situation is expected to increase reliability and military relevance. After all, if a mission could be used to bring down a spy satellite, it can be used to transfer over film or even attempt a capture of enemy equipment.
Internal Politics
Continued agitation against Kosygin for his refusal to take a stance on international issues outside Comecon has started from the left wing. Despite his overall correct view that the intervention into the Vietnam conflict would have escalated tensions, there are no ends of attacks on allowing the capitalists to expand their influence. The opposition of course has a number of vague proposals on how if they were in power everything would be solved, producing no end to useful platitudes for further political maneuver. Kosygin has for reasons unknown to everyone insisted on an absolutist line of interventionist politics, necessitating a socialist movement as a first priority rather than a broad front of anti-imperialist causes.
Even some of the smaller managers have started to ferment splits with the main line of Kosygin at least, as arming the Socialist world promises to form significant further economic opportunities. Not only that but containment of American influence is a core objective for further cold war maneuvering, as every additional state of economic exploitation they create the stronger their economy will be. By instead committing to supporting local groups willing and capable of resisting with a degree of training, many of the exploitation states can be reversed at little cost. It is universally better that some excesses in arming occur then to allow the Americans to exploit yet another defenseless state.
Further political developments have continued to occur in terms of international policy, with investments into Afghanistan authorized on the back of the more conservative wings. While Kosygin has advised caution, intensity of Chinese investments must be matched in order to ensure that an influence gap does not develop. Projects are currently expected to be under a semi resistant MFA with the intensification of agriculture through a water management scheme along with several mining enterprises moved in wholesale. The Chinese will likely match, with several efforts made to secure the army to consolidate their influence, necessitating some form of significant counterbalance. Assuming that the local workers are similar in character, a continued inflow of wealth should buy their support far better then a few officers.
So far, it cannot be said that Kosygin has lost control of the party, but his next piece of legislation, while not openly opposed, has invited significant criticism from important personnel. Rather than organizing cooperative structures the same way as any inherently private based structure, he has developed a policy of possible preferential treatment in combination with the Ministry of Finance. The actual MNKh and its cadres are not expected to be affected no matter what decision is reached, but political influence can easily be salvaged from whatever course is taken. Everyone from Kosygin to Podgorny are in favor of a general lightening of laws for cooperatives, though with no agreement on specific policy. Practical policy making has immediately run into a number of issues, a cooperative must be precisely defined, benefits for anything transitory must be rammed through, and the various bright sparks of the Supreme Soviet must be convinced.
Reports on Experimental Efforts
Broadly speaking the work hours studies have returned a consistent if semi expected benefit. Lowered work hours have led to a strengthening of demand for several consumer products and a generally increased rate of consumption through the utilization of expanded leisure time. Effects have been fairly minor in sum with productivity shifts not significant enough to otherwise justify the change on a mass scale. Of course, as the total productivity change from shorter work hours on either a six day week scheme of six hour days or a five day seven hour week are negligible they are not a reason to avoid policy implementation. Some in the Supreme Soviet may claim such a course is an enabling action for further labor-parasitism becoming normalized, but demand stimulation of economic turnover is far more important than dealing with imbeciles that have memorized the contents of too many party meetings.
Further cuts in work hours have, however , limited total production making them politically incapable of passage or implementation outside of the most delusional. Per hour productivity does increase to a point and the demand drive does show similar effects, but too much time being given to the workers reduces per worker production too much to be allowable. Education and labor itself is not a limitless resource and it must be continuously and productively allocated to ensure socialist development. In a theoretical world where people wanted for nothing but the basics and there was no constant confrontation with the West, there could be a time for utopianism, but not now. Confrontation with the capitalist system is far too important to surrender the advantages of soviet labor by encouraging idleness and allowing prime labor to give in to the temptations of social parasitism.
Higher work hours have demonstrated a short term increase in production and have been already pre authorized in the case of necessary wartime mobilization, but those are not expected to be used. Long term fatigue from long work hours makes the increase of per worker production on all but the most automated machinery small, and at extreme cases significantly impacts intellectual work. In all test cases accident rates have shown a statistically significant change, if well within acceptable boundaries outside of the twenty four hour rotating scheme. Further quality production drops have been noted, but increased automation and reliance on monitoring technical personnel have limited them in areas of significant technical complication. Intellectual work has seen the strongest impacts from harsher policies both on the elimination of breaks and on the increase in hours, as exhaustion continues to be a major factor bringing down productivity. Even if the acute demand for several consumable categories has increased, the reduction in overall demand valuation renders the approach too nonviable in anything but the extreme short term.
Analysis on break patterns have however noticed significant improvements in that extending them improved productivity up to a point. Further, almost all workers, when provided with flexible scheduling for both food and rest breaks improved in morale and productivity to a point. Attempting large scale breaks has significantly impacted consumptive habits, limiting productivity gains and disturbing the demand drive too significantly to be of value. A balanced one hour split scheme has so far proven to be the optimal one in initial testing on standard forty hour systems, with confirmation of its positive labor effects confirmed in lower hour systems. Current suggestions from the study have indicated a transition to a one hour flexible break system as the immediate priority for improving production and demand, followed by an eventual transition towards a 6x6 or 5x7 hour labor scheme.
The food project has produced a diverse variety of results, with neighborhoods where it was piloted experiencing a significant degree of secondary growth in the initial weeks that died down. Much of this is expected to have come from the novelty of the process, even if demand has continued to die down over time. Areas with high student populations along with less developed economic areas have seen more demand, but an almost paradoxical effect has also been produced. The provision of free bread has to an extent shifted demand but not eliminated it for other bread products. Instead of local bakeries closing down en masse as expected, some closed but many removed basic breads and began to experiment with several varieties.
Demand for these more complex breads has proven fairly resilient compared to that of simpler bread products, as only those with few other choices for students extensively used low cost solid breads. To an extent, the shifting of funds away from basic produce also created a notable improvement in overall nutritional purchases across several economic brackets. With primary calories more than compensated for, available money was more able to be allocated to variety based foods. Longitudinal health outcome studies are still underway and mostly inconclusive, but at least immediate dietary impacts have been positive.
Another curious impact that has come from the program is an unexpectedly significant increase in confidence in the Soviet system. Even more interestingly these impacts have come as a universal tendency rather than as a symptom of utilization. Some sociologists have argued it as a sympathetic effect, as if the basics are guaranteed in direct vision of the general workers, the opinion impact is far greater. Comparative to equivalent cost propaganda it is also more effective in some ways, making the effect notable as a more efficient allocation of spending then conventional cultural production efforts. Actual costs of the program have so far been more of an extension in subsidy regimes rather than anything decisive. And diversification across private sector bakeries have allowed them to mostly maintain their niches. Even larger centralized distribution centers have not seen that much of a demand drop as the convenience of purchasing bread along with everything else is still dominant.
It is said that some of the economic laws operating in our country under socialism, including the law of value, have been "transformed," or even "radically transformed," on the basis of planned economy. That is likewise untrue. Laws cannot be "transformed," still less "radically" transformed. If they can be transformed, then they can be abolished and replaced by other laws. The thesis that laws can be "transformed" is a relic of the incorrect formula that laws can be "abolished" or "formed." Although the formula that economic laws can be transformed has already been current in our country for a long time, it must be abandoned for the sake of accuracy. The sphere of action of this or that economic law may be restricted, its destructive action — that is, of course, if it is liable to be destructive — may be averted, but it cannot be "transformed" or "abolished."
Consequently, when we speak of "subjugating" natural forces or economic forces, of "dominating" them, etc., this does not mean that man can "abolish" or "form" scientific laws. On the contrary, it only means that man can discover laws, get to know them and master them, learn to apply them with full understanding, utilize them in the interests of society, and thus subjugate them, secure mastery over them.
Hence, the laws of political economy under socialism are objective laws, which reflect the fact that the processes of economic life arc law-governed and operate independently of our will. People who deny this postulate are in point of fact denying science, and, by denying science, they are denying all possibility of prognostication — and, consequently, are denying the possibility of directing economic activity….
We cannot, of course, regard as an answer the opinion of certain half-baked Marxists who believe that under such conditions the thing to do is to refrain from taking power and to wait until capitalism has succeeded in ruining the millions of small and medium producers and converting them into farm laborers and in concentrating the means of production in agriculture, and that only after this would it be possible to consider the assumption of power by the proletariat and the socialization of all the means of production. Naturally, this is a "solution" which Marxists cannot accept if they do not want to disgrace themselves completely.
Nor can we regard as an answer the opinion of other half-baked Marxists, who think that the thing to do would be to assume power and to expropriate the small and medium rural producers and to socialize their means of production. Marxists cannot adopt this senseless and criminal course either, because it would destroy all chances of victory for the proletarian revolution, and would throw the peasantry into the camp of the enemies of the proletariat for a long time…
Lenin's answer may be briefly summed up as follows:
a) Favorable conditions for the assumption of power should not be missed - the proletariat should assume power without waiting until capitalism has succeeded in ruining the millions of small and medium individual producers;
b) The means of production in industry should be expropriated and converted into public property;
c) As to the small and medium individual producers, they should be gradually united in producers' cooperatives, i.e., in large agricultural enterprises, collective farms;
d) Industry should be developed to the utmost and the collective farms should be placed on the modern technical basis of large-scale production, not expropriating them, but on the contrary generously supplying them with first-class tractors and other machines;
e) In order to ensure an economic bond between town and country, between industry and agriculture, commodity production (exchange through purchase and sale) should be preserved for a certain period, it being the form of economic tie with the town which is alone acceptable to the peasants, and Soviet trade - state, cooperative, and collective-farm - should be developed to the full and the capitalists of all types and descriptions ousted from trading activity….
Commodity production leads to capitalism only if there is private owner-ship of the means of production, if labor power appears in the market as a commodity which can be bought by the capitalist and exploited in the process of production, and if, consequently, the system of exploitation of wageworkers by capitalists exists in the country. Capitalist production begins when the means of production are concentrated in private hands, and when the workers are bereft of means of production and are compelled to sell their labor power as a commodity. Without this there is no such thing as capitalist production.
Further, I think that we must also discard certain other concepts taken from Marx's Capital - where Marx was concerned with an analysis of capitalism - and artificially applied to our socialist relations. I am referring to such concepts, among others, as "necessary" and "surplus" labor, "necessary" and "surplus" product, "necessary" and "surplus" time. Marx analyzed capitalism in order to elucidate the source of exploitation of the working class - surplus value - and to arm the working class, which was bereft of means of production, with an intellectual weapon for the overthrow of capitalism. It is natural that Marx used concepts (categories) which fully corresponded to capitalist relations. But it is strange, to say the least, to use these concepts now, when the working class is not only not bereft of power and means of production, but, on the contrary, is in possession of the power and controls the means of production. Talk of labor power being a commodity, and of "hiring" of workers sounds rather absurd now, under our system: as though the working class, which possesses means of production, hires itself and sells its labor power to itself. It is just as strange to speak now of "necessary" and "surplus" labor: as though, under our conditions, the labor contributed by the workers to society for the extension of production, the promotion of education and public health, the organization of defense, etc., is not just as necessary to the working class, now in power, as the labor expended to supply the personal needs of the worker and his family…
But does this mean that the operation of the law of value has as much scope with us as it has under capitalism, and that it is the regulator of production in our country too? No, it does not. Actually, the sphere of operation of the law of value under our economic system is strictly limited and placed within definite bounds. It has already been said that the sphere of operation of commodity production is restricted and placed within definite bounds by our system. The same must be said of the sphere of operation of the law of value. Undoubtedly, the fact that private ownership of the means of production does not exist, and that the means of production both in town and country are socialized, cannot but restrict the sphere of operation of the law of value and the extent of its influence on production.
It is said that the law of value is a permanent law, binding upon all periods of historical development, and that if it does lose its function as a regulator of exchange relations in the second phase of communist society, it retains at this phase of development its function as a regulator of the relations between the various branches of production, as a regulator of the distribution of labor among them.
That is quite untrue. Value, like the law of value, is a historical category connected with the existence of commodity production. With the disappearance of commodity production, value and its forms and the law of value also disappear. Totally incorrect, too, is the assertion that under our present economic system, in the first phase of development of communist society, the law of value regulates the "proportions" of labor distributed among the various branches of production.
If this were true, it would be incomprehensible why our light industries, which are the most profitable, are not being developed to the utmost, and why preference is given to our heavy industries, which are often less profitable, and some-times altogether unprofitable.
If this were true, it would be incomprehensible why a number of our heavy industry plants which arc still unprofitable and where the labor of the worker does not yield the "proper returns," are not closed down, and why new light industry plants, which would certainly be profitable and where the labor of the workers might yield "big returns," are not opened.
If this were true, it would be incomprehensible why workers are not transferred from plants that are less profitable, but very necessary to our national economy, to plants which are more profitable - in accordance with the law of value, which supposedly regulates the "proportions" of labor distributed among the branches of production…
Is there a basic economic law of socialism? Yes, there is. What are the essential features and requirements of this law? The essential features and requirements of the basic law of socialism might be formulated roughly in this way: the securing of the maximum satisfaction of the constantly rising material and cultural requirements of the whole of society through the continuous expansion and perfection of socialist production on the basis of higher techniques.
It is said that the law of the balanced, proportionate development of the national economy is the basic economic law of socialism. That is not true. Balanced development of the national economy, and, hence, economic planning, which is a more or less faithful reflection of this law, can yield nothing by themselves, if it is not known for what purpose economic development is planned, or if that purpose is not clear. The law of balanced development of the national economy can yield the desired result only if there is a purpose for the sake of which economic development is planned. This purpose the law of balanced development of the national economy cannot itself provide. Still less can economic planning provide it. This purpose is inherent in the basic economic law of socialism, in the shape of its requirements, as expounded above…
(Above Directly sourced from OTL Stalin's work on the Economic Problems of the USSR)
Infrastructure
Secondary City Metro Lines(Stage 5): The further and practically final development of the metro project for a time involves constructing a further system in some core industrial sites. The Kazan and Chelyabinsk metros will be built in a direct repetition of the old pattern, ensuring all industrial areas can receive a steady supply of workers. The more complex Odessa metro will involve only a single integrated linking line due to the cost of working near the water table, but this should still be more than sufficient for the efficient transportation of labor. (127/150)
Re-initiation on work on the metro systems around Kazan have experienced a number of delays due to stoppages of work, but more funding has easily fixed such problems. Work on the standardized scheme has so far enabled a few of the lines to likely enter functionality over the next two years, even if the entire network will need a bit more funding to finalize. The more technically complex Odessa line has had several issues in construction, but even they have been mostly fixed through directed industrial effort.
Moscow Renovation: The capital and, more specifically, the rapidly constructed urban growth areas have needed renovation for the last decade. Due to the prioritization of the last leadership and the issues in obtaining sufficient funds, these projects have been delayed. Taking a new look towards constructing a proper House of Soviets in a modernization of the old plan along with a dedicated building for several ministries, work can be moderately sped up while further developing the cityscape. Productivity isn't expected to improve significantly, but new networks of communication and capacity will at least ensure moderate improvements. Residential reconstruction will further assist with this, as far higher capacity units than the broader housing effort indicates will be built at higher localized densities on the metro network, optimizing labor movement. (311/1150)
Demolition of residential areas in the first and second enterprise district have gone according to plan, with much of the area already designated out towards several exchange and services focused enterprises. Both sites are expected to have intensive construction of new towers of office space to both define the skyline and ensure an inflow of high density work spaces. Construction on the central body for the Supreme soviet has also started, with a modernized version of the original palace of the soviets design starting implementation and foundation work. The actual spire of the structure has been reduced to just two hundred and fifty meters, with the halls for assembly and the bureaus extended lengthwise into the pre-war plan for Ilych alley. Demolition in the surrounding plaza has also proceeded according to plan, with a sufficient allocation of space left for secondary structures and monuments.
Relocation of twenty thousand inhabitants of the soon to be first and second enterprise districts have been compensated for by the central ministry housing construction effort. Complaints have been made to both Party and State organizations, but the level and density of them is safe to ignore compared to previous intensive work on urban development. Smaller relocations have proven necessary for the main restoration of the capital, even if the few officials given weeks to move have been far more effective at complaining.
-MNKH Public Relations, Missive, sent to Voznesensky
Passenger Rail Network(Western SU): Electrification is a fundamental improvement in the transportation of personnel at high speeds, as diesel locomotives are not properly optimized to run at such a pace. Utilizing several innovations in rectification and localized drives for passenger units, it is possible to provide similar or better speeds across the HSR network. These new units will require a large-scale modernization and be limited to serving passengers. Still, as there is already a network specializing in the task, this optimization is more of a question of specialized production. Electrification of the track itself will be done according to a 25kV AC catenary scheme, allowing a reduction in power loss across the vastness of the Union. (2055/2200)
Dedicated efforts towards the electrification and modernization of the massive rail system have proceeded slower than expected due to issues in technical achievement and cost, but they have still proceeded. Integration of 25kV AC lines has so far run into the consistent issues of insufficiencies in locomotive production as dedicated electrical locomotive plants are still ramping up in production. Most of the lines at this point are either partially or entirely electrified, with just some of the work around the Baltic states left to be completed. Already, the highest load has been in the local trains running around Moscow, as inter-urban commutes have become a daily matter for thousands of workers and students. Similar effects have been observed near Kiev and Kharkov, with development on the network leading to a greater dynamism of labor. Even Kazan has seen a curious effect, as it has effectively become the biggest point for unloading from the Trans-siberian and transferring onto the high speed network, increasing tourist and service revenues noticeably.
Ticket operation at loss is expected on most primary long distance routes with heaviest loading now expected on regional commuter routes. Requesting authorization towards the relocation and increasing density of urban rail around Moscow so as to ensure sufficient commuter capacity, consolidating out of city traffic time-slots. Current recommendations from the passenger-enterprises have been a reduction of inter-regional loadings by a third, with dense local traffic taking up the burden. Inter-regional route allocation towards sub-prime time slots will further enhance work-transit, spreading housing burden.
-Moscow Regional Rail Authority, Stamped Approved
Civilian Airports(Stage 2): Development of airport assets in tier two and tier three cities is essential, as it is not expected that large scale travel to them will be available for decades. While the rail lines do provide some degree of mobility, many are far too remote to reach with anything short of a challenging drive on poor roads or a slow train. For the movement of soviet workers and the development of these critical industrial and extractive centers, further airports must be constructed. Most will be a small single runway for regional jets, but even that should be sufficient for expected passenger loads. (50 Resources per Dice 190/200)
Regional demolition efforts to allow for more airport transfers have proceeded according to plan, with significant areas of the countryside modernized and paved to allow for jet airliners. Actual terminals are expected to be small with the runways constructed in patterns of ones and twos including occasional overlap and basic control structures. These are expected to primarily receive regional jets from far larger hubs that are planned to be built soon after, providing a reliable way to vacation and visit people for several more remote locations. Actual services are expected to be conducted infrequently, but even a once a week transfer flight is a far greater potential for travel then anything before.
Heavy Industry 8 Dice
Aggregate Processing Plants: The relatively underutilized coastlines of the Caspian offer a significant source of new aggregate and continued production of concrete. The location would be on the deep water network in the West, and secure a significant degree of construction material for a number of larger scale projects. Harvesting operations have so far been planned along with a general intensification and expansion of local enterprises focused on the processing of cement ensuring steady cost reductions for the construction industry. (204/175) (Completed) (-6 CI6 Electricity -16 CI4 Coal -5 CI2 Workforce) (Slight Cost Reductions)
Immediate emphasis on increasing the production of both conventional aggregate and increasing the scale of several Calcination plants. This, along with a steady intensification of sand harvesting from the Caspian has enabled a steady improvement in production that is linked into the broader deep water network. Continued industrial efforts are expected to be significantly enhanced through the movement of excess sand through the network along with steady numbers of prefabricated panels for the reduction of housing construction costs. Initiatives towards increasing production further are expected to be sufficient on the enterprise level, as internal markets for various components should remain strong as long as the pace of construction is maintained.
Kolomna Locomotive Works Modernization: Instead of building an entirely new plant dedicated to new models of electric trains, a modernization of the standard production of diesel-electric can be implemented. Switching the diesel for a DC converter and lightening the load of the standard locomotive can enable a cheap train to be produced for a moderate increase in cost. This would inherently be a secondary line and only moderately help along the electrification of the cargo system, but having a consistent production line for new locomotives for the passenger project will help to reduce prices. Later refits towards a dedicated model can be accomplished after a sufficient degree of design experience builds up on the enterprise's initiative, limiting the necessity of direct funding. (247/150) (Completed) (-7 CI1 Steel -4 CI1 Electricity -5 CI2 Workforce)
The conversion and expansion of the Kolomna plant has proceeded at an exceptional pace, with standardized cargo locomotives easily enabling a shift over towards electric traction when needed. Dedicated electric cargo carrier models are expected over the course of the next few years, even if lacking electrification on main cargo routes will limit their utilization. Several smaller electric switchers are for now expected to be the main locomotives in use until broader cargo railway electrification, as there is still a massive amount of work left to be done to modernize the Unions railway system. Exports of electric cargo locomotives are expected to take up some of the demand while the plant reaches full production, ensuring a steady stream of revenues for the strategically critical industry.
Bekabad Metallurgical Plant: Now that Tashkent has become a major manufacturing city, supplying it with Steel in sufficient quantities has become a priority. To minimize overall rail loading and continue to develop local production capacity, a fairly large associated metallurgical plant can be constructed in Bekabad. A larger mill project can be initiated using a mixture of local and imported cadres, ensuring a sufficient steel supply for a few larger manufacturing initiatives. Low labor costs and proximity to major coal deposits further incentivize the site, as it should be possible to secure massive quantities of acceptable grade steel for almost nothing, relative to the other mills. (249/450)
Initial efforts towards the construction of one of the largest steel mills in the world have proceeded at a rapid pace, with foundation laying completed and the remainder of the structure started. Yields are expected to be massive, as semi-local heating fuel will be combined with yet larger converters. The steel industry is essential for the Soviet economy and there is no reason to de-prioritize it, especially with the practically infinite supply of low cost labor. Outside the main complex, a general modernization and intensification of local coal and iron extraction are expected to supply the plant, limiting railway cargo loadings. Once further funding has been allocated however, the mill is expected to experience a small learning period, as local cadres are brought up to standard and construction is finalized, reaching the expected productivity on the prescribed timetable.
Coal Power Plants: With the stabilization of the coal economy, now is the time to start increasing coal power production. Using older parts and a simpler combustion cycle, the plants are expected to generate a good quantity of electricity, if at a far lower efficiency then the combined cycle gas plants. This surge of power can go towards any number of critical projects, ensuring that the Unions power demands can be met for long enough to bring larger hydro-electric, gas, and nuclear projects into full operation. (188+15 Cannon Omake/200) (Completed) (3/200 Next Stage) (64 CI4 Electricity -24 CI3 Coal -3 CI1 Workforce)
Another series of coal power plants have been built across the West, powering the endlessly expanding private sector and ensuring a stable and sufficient supply of power. The tentative brown outs brought in by the last season along with moderate grid instability has practically been addressed through the massive expansion of power production. Some construction out in the East has also proceeded with two major thermal power stations built to utilize portions of the massive yields at Kuzbas, powering local industries and contributing towards the intensification of central Asian capital investment and industrialization.
Rocketry
Cosmodrome Expansion: While technically capable of taking a 6m stage from a barge, actually launching a rocket heavy enough to justify such a large stage is a different question. Expanding the Yeraliyev cosmodrome further and increasing the scale of its facilities, a far greater rate of launches and larger launches can be enabled. The plan calls for the construction of three additional light pads for minimal configuration RLA or R7U launches along with the construction of a large scale pad made to launch the fully built RLA or any of its partial configurations. (126/200)
Full configuration RLA launches pose one of the largest technical and structural engineering challenges to enable. The rocket itself is expected to weigh up to three thousand tons in its full configuration, to say less of the expected impulse from its first stage engines. After an assembly of the cores and their shipment by barges, a unified system to move the vehicle in place has started construction. The actual pad has also started casting, with a network of bidirectional flame diverters built to reduce the damage of both launches and possible failures. Construction itself is expected to take some more time, with two pads expected to be built for full scale RLA launches.
EVA Suit Programs: Design work on a viable suit to be worn in the vacuum of space is an essential component to a number of theoretical moon landing configurations. While the design challenges of such a system are massive, steps need to be taken towards producing something functional. The project itself will focus on a basic level suit that can be worn for several hours of activities, avoiding both the thermal and radiation issues of the orbital environment. The experience here will further contribute towards the development of a possible Lunar suit, providing a basis for exploration. (14) (Project Cost 5 RpT)
The overall space suit program has immediately encountered a number of major technical issues inherent to construction. Space is a vacuum environment that causes a constant mess of joint issues, life support packages are not at all compact, and thermal issues plague everything involved. Already all of these issues have induced intensive work by a number of development organizations and universities to solve every technical issue. Life support machinery can generally be fitted towards the back, with air and water circulation built in on the same system. Unique solutions to flexibility in vacuum are being trialed, but actual results will take a significant amount of time.
Hyper-sonic Wind Tunnel: Getting air speeds into the hyper-sonic and high supersonic range presents a massive technical challenge, but an important one for the further testing of a number of important concepts. By committing the funding towards building a dedicated facility testing can be accelerated and far more progress can be made on testing with models rather than attempts at calculation. Full speeds for things like re-entry are not going to be achieved, but high mach dynamics are a critical area of study for both the military and for the rocketry program, plus a significant political victory can be secured by getting their enterprises to use our tunnel. (118/100) (Completed) (-6 CI2 Electricity -3 CI1 Workforce)
Constructing a concrete tunnel capable of blowing air at hyper-sonic speeds has been a massive exercise in engineering design and massive pressure tanks, but for short bursts it is entirely achievable. Several large circular compressed gas storage tanks have been constructed along with a small tubular section with built in cameras outside the flow path. Testing is expected to be undertaken in this small space with scale models, enabling massive advancements in aerodynamic concepts. Even the army has booked several spaces for test shots, as ballistic missile development is close to more civilian focused space applications.
Light and Chemical Industry
Consumable Product Initiatives(Stage 1): The private sector has so far served sufficiently in providing excess consumable products for the general population, but the sector itself is considerably under-utilized. While an enterprise might produce toilet paper on the side, this is comparatively inefficient and lacking in scale. By taking up the production of standard consumables into major centralized enterprises, the economy can be made more efficient and the supply of consumptive goods across CMEA can be enhanced. This will include a degree of increasing production of certain food goods, ensuring that the average citizen will have cheap access to standardized products. (141/150)
Taking advantage of the market segments pioneered by private business and massively expanded into them has been a consistent and functional model of state development. Several parallel enterprises have been expanded especially towards the production of specialized paper goods. Demand sectors for consumable and toiletry goods have so far been consistent and strong, with similar expectations for a number of finer soaps. Technically more cosmetics than directly consumptive, almost a dozen different soap enterprises have been founded in order to provide variety in personal cleaning compounds. A number of further state enterprises for the production of minor paper goods for kitchen and baking applications have also been partially funded, with several more expected to make up the current state production shortfalls.
Book Production: Sourcing more books is essential towards improving the popular understanding of literature and improving Soviet influence abroad. By transferring funding towards increased production of literary works a considerable amount of turnover can be secured. This can be followed up on with a program of funding a number of domestic authors producing work in a scientific scheme, encouraging people across CMEA to participate in the scientific apparatus. Building more book printing enterprises will also contribute to an increase in publishing throughput, bringing yet more variety to the Soviet people. (100/100) (Completed) (-4 CI2 Electricity -6 CI1 Workforce)
Expansions in printing of standard volumes have come as a logical extension of increased demands for newly written fiction. While textbooks and some nonfiction works have seen a small increase in utilization, almost all of current demand growth has come from new fiction. Consumption itself has exhibited itself as a strong purchasing industry, as at this point the average worker has a number of books at home for entertainment. Popularization of newer works by word of mouth has partially limited spread, but private sector bookstores have ensured a strong demand drive. Expansion in schoolbook producing enterprises have so far been minor, as planned rotation cycles have been maintained and no dramatic revisions of information have proven necessary.
Electrified Appliance Production: The demand for more modern appliances has generally been met by incentive funds from the previously established enterprises, but more funding can always help. By improving production of newer models and ensuring that domestic demand is entity saturated, programs can start to look towards export. The demand in CMEA is only expected to increase as electrification broadens and more workers receive modern accommodations. This will contribute significantly towards also improving safety in the home, as electricity is far safer then any variety of open flames. (165+15 Cannon Omake/175) (Completed) (-8 CI2 Electricity -5 CI1 Workforce)
Electrified teapots, dishwashers, and laundry mechanization have continued to be popular and exhibit strong demand pressure. The current productive enterprises have thus been granted a significant quantity of money so as to expand for both domestic price reductions and to ensure that foreign exports can continue at a higher pace. Some diversification of production sites has also been authorized, with enterprises starting to create a number of branch plants to take advantage of discrepancies in labor costs. Additional production will likely still be necessary as more workers attempt to purchase new appliances for their apartments, but that is a future concern.
Heat Pump Plants(Stage 1): More efficient electrical systems for isolated buildings incapable of linking to grid based heating can be built to improve the quality of workers' residences. In areas where there is a discrete lack of co-generation capabilities, general purpose heat pumps can be used instead. Actual production of enough units will be a major challenge, as electronic temperature control can significantly improve the quality of life of a multitude of workers. Additionally as the grid has grown in efficiency, it is now more sensible to generate electricity to pump heat rather than use combustibles for direct heating, and the added benefits of cooling for worker comfort cannot be under-estimated. (128/200) (Nat 1) (+32 to Air Conditioning Plants/Actions Merged)
Utilizing studies from the latest technical experts, the heat pump production scheme has been found to be considerably less efficient than a split cooling and co-generation scheme. While the cooling impacts are technically less efficient, the lowered capital costs and easier retrofits of cooling units is too much of an advantage to surrender. Utilizing co-generation techniques and continuing to design cities to take advantage of power-plant secondary loops is already common practice and there is no reason to stop it for a costly conversion to electric methods. The project towards construction of new heat pumps has effectively thus been canceled, with funding partially re-appropriated towards more efficient methodologies involving theoretically reversible single units.
Textile Industry Modernization(Stage 2): The popularity of synthetic fibers is massive and sustained across the entire Union, and it would be remiss to ignore. Instead of continuing the strong focus on cotton, diversification is the primary priority of this stage of development. The private sector has already adopted the materials at scale, with use only going up every day. The state cannot allow for a gap in the production of new fiber, and with a commitment of funding, new consumer goods can be made for both domestic and foreign consumers. (267/200 Completed) (67/225 Stage 3) (-5 RpT Oil) (+20 RpT Consumer Goods) (-5 CI1 Electricity -8 CI2 Workforce)
Mass production of acrylic and polyester fibers have been initiated at several new sites, along with a general intensification of the conventional cotton industry. Both promise to significantly improve the technical qualities of several common articles of clothing at little cost, all while reducing dependency on cotton imports. Unfortunately, with the intensification of the general industry and constant pressure from the Soviet people for more clothing, imports are expected to increase for a time. Fully synthetic cloth production could in theory be done from our petrochemical stocks, but costs are expected to be too great for such tasks outside military necessity. Further production expansions are expected to begin the importation of novel techniques for synthetic labor along with a continued general expansion of the conventional cloth-clothing industry.
Agriculture
Farming Supply Provisioning: Direct linkages of industrial bases to agricultural sites have been challenging due to the lacking state of low density infrastructure. To aleve these issues, more localized resellers for agricultural goods can be established under the guise of a unified state enterprise. Massive commercial activity isn't expected, but just getting most agricultural and general production goods to the people will significantly contribute. On a regional level, these large warehouse styled stores will serve to improve the situation and minimize inefficiencies in agricultural labor. (92/200)
Construction of several stores for decided farming supply purposes has had a significant increase in returns, as farmers have continuously had issues sourcing in demand goods in lower quantities. Despite most enterprises being callable and easy to order from, limitations in quantities supplied has so far induced several issues for smaller farms. By instead shifting sales of sub 50kg of quantities of ground, fertilizer, seeds, and other essential agricultural materials to a local level, uptake has been accelerated. So far most of these enterprises are expected to be built at a local level, supplying a few towns per region each with supplies along with general construction goods.
Agricultural Diversification: The wheat crisis as it has been called informally and not on reports, has only grown more severe. The US cannot physically dump enough wheat onto the global market and despite our own cheaper production and labor prices, neither can we. Storage areas are not yet entirely filled, but the nature of the problem is evident. Encouraging diversification on a state enterprise level will leave a gulf in the market for family owned agriculture, but even a slight slowdown will help. Lack of prompt vegetable transportation also needs to be addressed as the density of both roads and refrigerated trucks is limited. (245/300)
Starting mass scale work to limit the damage of the current subsidy regime has been a major problem facing the agricultural sector. Simply increasing subsidies on secondary products that are more spread out would solve nothing and possibly repeat the same problem in a decade, just with objectively less useful melons or whatever other crop is planted. Instead, drives for diversification have come from programs aimed at continuing price lowering, along with hard limits on stockpiling. The subsidies may still be distorting the overall cybernetic mechanism, but through back funding for current losses from major ag enterprises a partial release of grain reserves has been authorized. Actual end-state prices are only expected to crater, and as subsidies are fixed at a set point, only the largest and most intensified enterprises should continue the production of grain.
Services
Medial System Standardization: Before large scale modernization efforts can be undertaken for the medical industry, actually standardizing on a series of manufacturing guidelines can be made. The inherent decentralization and enterprise focused approach has worked acceptably towards improving buildup, but it hasn't allowed for the tight control of production. The current reviews have found major deviations, and only by implementing universal standards can it be entirely addressed. (190/150) (Completed)
A council of medical experts and professionals have so far done important work in unifying diagnostic and health criteria onto a single standard. While questionably useful for diagnostic work, a unification of standard treatments in terms of first and second line approaches is invaluable from a medical perspective. The completed volume is only expected to be done at some point in the next year, but it will make the overall sector consistent if nothing else. Even the rapidly expanding teaching hospitals are expected to benefit as now symptomatic clusters can be referred through several robust flow charts. Some have criticized that it is an excessive de-personalization of healthcare, but any conditions that are uncommon are the task of experts, not lay doctors.
Universal application of standards and diagnostics will prove to be a major aid towards all facets of medicine. Despite the recommendations of several comrades, a psychological standard has been issued to observe commonalities if nothing else. Hospital issuance is expected to occur in the next year, with teaching integrating lessons started on a more aggressive time frame. Observable medicinal impact studies will be provided within the course of the next two years, though further funding can significantly accelerate progress.
-Boris Vasilievich Petrovsky to Voznesensky
Bureaucracy
Currency Agitation: Getting things ready for a major currency eform is a massive effort in the ministry, as accounts will need to be changed and updated. Despite the reform being ostensibly a help in securing more resources from the broader CMEA, it will also be a major disruption. If internal changes can be delayed until the next plan, any fluctuation will have far more time to sort itself out. Simultaneously, ensuring interconvertibility will tie the various comecon economies tightly to ours and plans need to be made towards high viability export goods. (91) (Internal Reform)
Unified currency schemes are invaluable for the development of the economy and broadly speaking Comecon. While current trade arrangements depend heavily on the constant inflow of gold, several immediate and clear issues have come up. Securing enough gold to maintain liquidity for a unified Euro is for now practical but to maintain a sufficient degree of financialization ever larger reserve ratios will have to be used. These higher reserve ratios will likely cause some instability especially in the case of a downturn, but there is only so much that can be done to solve such a problem. Still, the Supreme Soviet has been fed a mostly correct line and briefing of a unified currency system reducing the chance of a liquidity crisis and it may do so from expanding circulation as a common-exchange currency. The actual plan has so far passed all political blockers, all that is left is the five year implementation plan accomplished through both Gosbank and the Ministry of Finance. As to our domestic dual currency regimen, it is semi inevitable that a further modernization will be necessary. Kosygin's plots in such areas may not be optimal for economic growth, but better him expend the political influence. It is expected that he will use the broader Euro reform to solidify inter-convertibility and start the path towards the final elimination of the dual currency regime.
Determine Coalitional Alignments: The current supreme Soviet may have just been re-seated, but already the closed-door debates have intensified. By taking time to personally discuss with several influential bureaus and members, it should be possible to obtain a general idea of the exact state of the various blocks present. The current poorly organized diaspora will only ensure that the ministry cannot operate with a proper idea for political margin, limiting capabilities at all levels. (103)
Supreme Soviet Updated 1962H1 (Listed by Delegates, Unity, and Degree of Support) (None<Poor<Decent<Acceptable<Good<Excellent)
Podgorny's Faction: Around 100, Good, Poor
Aristov's Faction: Around 80, Decent, Poor
Kosygin's Faction: Around 610, Good, Good (Governing Coalition)
Voznesesnky's Faction: Around 240, Good, Excellent(Governing Coalition)
Shepilov's Faction: Around 380, Acceptable, Acceptable
Saburov's Faction: Around 130, Acceptable, Decent
Kleshchev's Faction: Around 50, Poor, Decent
For all the technocracy we like to push... it's really the bread (and things like it) that will carry the day, isn't it. When US citizens see that if you live in the USSR you get free stuff... they'll emigrate, even if the US's top echelons are richer and more technologically advanced.
Some in the Supreme Soviet may claim such a course is an enabling action for further labor-parasitism becoming normalized, but demand stimulation of economic turnover is far more important than dealing with imbeciles that have memorized the contents of too many party meetings.
Voz not letting career politicians with no economic experience tell him how to run the economy. If the data says a slightly shorter workday equals more productivity than we should follow what the data says.
But I suppose the ruling class must always fear the workers having more time to do dangerous things. Like think. Or have an opinion on how the country is being run.
A lot of good things for our citizens' quality of life this turn and we got a excellent start to a united currency system on top. This will do wonders for actually keeping the nations of CEMA in our circle of influence in the long term. It also makes it easier to dump out exports by shipload once local demand is satisfied and we want to keep all this nice heavy industry useful.
Jesus, both the PKA and the RLA are actually going to fly instead of being crumpled up and thrown in the garbage while still at the bar napkin stage like they were supposed to be. And yet a basic communications satellite is utterly beyond our capabilities. Love our space dice.
Ah, there's the third rail that's gonna get Kosygin electrocuted, simultaneously getting into Afghanistan and doing controversial domestic reforms. Flying pretty close to the sun here.
Even if the acute demand for several consumable categories has increased, the reduction in overall demand valuation renders the approach too nonviable in anything but the extreme short term.
Another curious impact that has come from the program is an unexpectedly significant increase in confidence in the Soviet system.[...] Comparative to equivalent cost propaganda it is also more effective in some ways, making the effect notable as a more efficient allocation of spending then conventional cultural production efforts.
Correct us if we're wrong, but it sounds like the average citizen now has a 7 hour work day 5 days a week with a 1 hour break that they can use flexibly through out their day? That's a pretty good fucking deal holy shit.
Correct us if we're wrong, but it sounds like the average citizen now has a 7 hour work day 5 days a week with a 1 hour break that they can use flexibly through out their day? That's a pretty good fucking deal holy shit.
Well, that's the theoretical standard we're now having MNKh enterprises switch to, it'll take a few years to proliferate and actually get everybody switched over in practice. But yeah, especially since Voz has hard statistical proof that it actually makes Number Go Up it should proliferate pretty quick with pressure from the center and an actual incentive to switch beyond generosity.
Correct us if we're wrong, but it sounds like the average citizen now has a 7 hour work day 5 days a week with a 1 hour break that they can use flexibly through out their day? That's a pretty good fucking deal holy shit.
We get to style on the capitalists so hard with this in the upcoming years. Even if we don't catch up in everything actually having a work life balance across the various sectors of the workforce will always call out to common people.
