Why the transition failed: towards a political economy of the post-Soviet period in Russia

The thesis of this article is that there has been no transition to capitalism in the post-Soviet space and that there has been no transition because there could be no transition. The pre-conditions for a move to capitalism have been absent throughout this time. We have been witnessing a continuing disintegration of the previous system leading into a disintegration of the society itself through national independence, civil war, emigration, growth of criminal enterprise and the exclusion of ever greater numbers from direct participation in that society. Every society must have a social form, which we call its social system and if that social system is disintegrating without replacement, it follows that the society itself must begin to disintegrate. This article is an attempt to theorize and so understand the nature of the ‘transition’. It does not attempt to uncover yet more empirical details, something that is amply dealt with by quality newspaper and periodical articles. Instead the article tries to take part in the process of discussing the salient features of what might be termed a ‘frozen transition’ or ‘continued disintegration’