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Chart10
ECONOMIC WEAKNESSES
The magnitude of the economic task which the USSR has assumed in
the creation of its Eurasian empire cannot help but cause considerable
difficulties. Although the USSR is still in the early stages of industriali-
zation and faces severe limitations on its ability to accelerate its devel-
opment, it has, nevertheless, taken on partial responsibility for large
areas and populations that are poor in resources, backward in develop-
ment, and no longer free to benefit from normal economic ties with
western countries. It has thus created an economic vacuum which, with
a per capita consumption of $200 per year, it is powerless to fill.
Apart from its general economic deficiencies, the Soviet Union faces
a number of particular shortages which, if exploited through such devices
as export controls, might interfere with even the maintenance of present
levels of production in important sectors of the economy. Among raw
materials in short supply, the most important are tin, crude rubber, and
certain nonferrous metals. Among industrial items are spare parts for
the large quantities of machinery and equipment secured from the west,
precision instruments, complex machine tools, special purpose bearings,
and electrical equipment. Slowness of mechanization, farmer opposition
to collectivization and general dissatisfaction among the peasants also
indicate a certain agricultural vulnerability.
It cannot be stressed too strongly that these potential weaknesses in
the Soviet economic system cannot be counted on to produce results in
the absence of a major upset to Soviet equilibrium through counterpres-
sures by the US and the rest of the free world.
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"ocrText": "Chart10\nECONOMIC WEAKNESSES\nThe magnitude of the economic task which the USSR has assumed in\nthe creation of its Eurasian empire cannot help but cause considerable\ndifficulties. Although the USSR is still in the early stages of industriali-\nzation and faces severe limitations on its ability to accelerate its devel-\nopment, it has, nevertheless, taken on partial responsibility for large\nareas and populations that are poor in resources, backward in develop-\nment, and no longer free to benefit from normal economic ties with\nwestern countries. It has thus created an economic vacuum which, with\na per capita consumption of $200 per year, it is powerless to fill.\nApart from its general economic deficiencies, the Soviet Union faces\na number of particular shortages which, if exploited through such devices\nas export controls, might interfere with even the maintenance of present\nlevels of production in important sectors of the economy. Among raw\nmaterials in short supply, the most important are tin, crude rubber, and\ncertain nonferrous metals. Among industrial items are spare parts for\nthe large quantities of machinery and equipment secured from the west,\nprecision instruments, complex machine tools, special purpose bearings,\nand electrical equipment. Slowness of mechanization, farmer opposition\nto collectivization and general dissatisfaction among the peasants also\nindicate a certain agricultural vulnerability.\nIt cannot be stressed too strongly that these potential weaknesses in\nthe Soviet economic system cannot be counted on to produce results in\nthe absence of a major upset to Soviet equilibrium through counterpres-\nsures by the US and the rest of the free world."
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