Re: Re: Re: Re: Reparations and capitalist progress.

[Michael Perelman <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Brad De Long wrote:

> I think that you would have to distinguish between
> "science", "research", and "development" in order to answer them. And think
> hard about the fact that it was not in producing the heavy industrial goods
> of the second industrial revolution but in developing and producing
> twentieth century technologies and the goods they made possible that really
> existing socialism fell down.

Or that the USSR developed rapidly, was then wiped out during WWII, rebuilt
again.  So far we are in agreement.  Shouldn't we consider that the military
budget of the country was enormous, consuming the best minds in the country?

>
> And you have to think about Lysenko...
>

Or Edward Teller and Star Wars ...  You might also mention that planting grain
in the virgin lands in the USSR was stupid -- also based on bad science.
Although I am seeing some western biologists now saying that Lysenko was not
all wrong.  Wasn't there a recent article in Lingua Franca?

>
> Brad DeLong

--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx