Anne Applebaum

was because they never were able to do what they said they were going to do. They kept saying, this is the perfect system. We're going to have prosperity for everybody. We're going to defeat the United States in the sense of we're going to have a better system than them. And it never happened. And because it never happened, they kept having to look for scapegoats. So Why are we all still poor?

was because they never were able to do what they said they were going to do. They kept saying, this is the perfect system. We're going to have prosperity for everybody. We're going to defeat the United States in the sense of we're going to have a better system than them. And it never happened. And because it never happened, they kept having to look for scapegoats. So Why are we all still poor?

was because they never were able to do what they said they were going to do. They kept saying, this is the perfect system. We're going to have prosperity for everybody. We're going to defeat the United States in the sense of we're going to have a better system than them. And it never happened. And because it never happened, they kept having to look for scapegoats. So Why are we all still poor?

Why are we poorer now than we were in Tsarist Russia? You know, why is the system failing? And so, oh, well, the answer is that there are saboteurs and there are traitors and there are Trotskyites who are trying to undermine us. And therefore, we need to find them and arrest them and put them in the gulag. That cycle happened, you know, repeatedly.

Why are we poorer now than we were in Tsarist Russia? You know, why is the system failing? And so, oh, well, the answer is that there are saboteurs and there are traitors and there are Trotskyites who are trying to undermine us. And therefore, we need to find them and arrest them and put them in the gulag. That cycle happened, you know, repeatedly.

Why are we poorer now than we were in Tsarist Russia? You know, why is the system failing? And so, oh, well, the answer is that there are saboteurs and there are traitors and there are Trotskyites who are trying to undermine us. And therefore, we need to find them and arrest them and put them in the gulag. That cycle happened, you know, repeatedly.

And then there would be a thaw and they would let people out because that wasn't working. And then there would be another wave of arrests. That happens in every one of these countries because the ideal that they had could never be reached. Also, communism was based on a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature, what makes people work hard, the ideas of ambition.

And then there would be a thaw and they would let people out because that wasn't working. And then there would be another wave of arrests. That happens in every one of these countries because the ideal that they had could never be reached. Also, communism was based on a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature, what makes people work hard, the ideas of ambition.

And then there would be a thaw and they would let people out because that wasn't working. And then there would be another wave of arrests. That happens in every one of these countries because the ideal that they had could never be reached. Also, communism was based on a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature, what makes people work hard, the ideas of ambition.

Once you eliminate ownership, for example, nobody can own their own house. Okay, well, if you don't own your house, then why should you keep it up? Why should you paint it? If somebody else owns it, why should you invest in it? And the same is true of a company. If you're working for a company... And you're not going to ever make any more money.

Once you eliminate ownership, for example, nobody can own their own house. Okay, well, if you don't own your house, then why should you keep it up? Why should you paint it? If somebody else owns it, why should you invest in it? And the same is true of a company. If you're working for a company... And you're not going to ever make any more money.

Once you eliminate ownership, for example, nobody can own their own house. Okay, well, if you don't own your house, then why should you keep it up? Why should you paint it? If somebody else owns it, why should you invest in it? And the same is true of a company. If you're working for a company... And you're not going to ever make any more money.

And, you know, your time isn't going to produce anything good for you. Then maybe you only pretend to work. Maybe you don't really work. And one of the things the communist system was always doing was inventing incentives. OK, so people don't really want to work.

And, you know, your time isn't going to produce anything good for you. Then maybe you only pretend to work. Maybe you don't really work. And one of the things the communist system was always doing was inventing incentives. OK, so people don't really want to work.

And, you know, your time isn't going to produce anything good for you. Then maybe you only pretend to work. Maybe you don't really work. And one of the things the communist system was always doing was inventing incentives. OK, so people don't really want to work.

So let's have a worker competition and let's have posters on the wall and whoever digs the most coal gets a prize, you know, because they couldn't. motivate people in any other way. And so they created these fake motivational systems. It was fundamentally incompatible with human nature. And as I said, from day one, it began with violence. It needed violence to maintain itself all the way through.

So let's have a worker competition and let's have posters on the wall and whoever digs the most coal gets a prize, you know, because they couldn't. motivate people in any other way. And so they created these fake motivational systems. It was fundamentally incompatible with human nature. And as I said, from day one, it began with violence. It needed violence to maintain itself all the way through.

So let's have a worker competition and let's have posters on the wall and whoever digs the most coal gets a prize, you know, because they couldn't. motivate people in any other way. And so they created these fake motivational systems. It was fundamentally incompatible with human nature. And as I said, from day one, it began with violence. It needed violence to maintain itself all the way through.

And eventually it collapsed because the people who were running it, even they didn't believe in it. And that became clear by the 1980s.

And eventually it collapsed because the people who were running it, even they didn't believe in it. And that became clear by the 1980s.