Re:It's human nature. (Score 1)

Non-capitalist? Maybe. But whatever you do want to call their earlier system, it wasnt socialist because the population had absolutely no say in the way their country was governed, which is the true hallmark of the socialist ideal.

At this time Russia was (and actually still is) governed by a self appointed, self-serving elite with no regard for the consequences of their policies on people or environment. . They weren't hell-bent on a glorious future for their subjects, only a glorious present for themselves. In this respect there wasn't much to seperate them from how the 'west' is governed nowadays.