October 2024 Friday’s e-links: Russia and McDonald’s

Last updated 10/18/24

Every once in a while, (and sometimes each day) I listen to a great podcast, enjoy an article, or see a good video that I want to share with you.

Always fascinated by Russian history, I’ve recently focused on Perestroika in two very different ways. In class, we look at the three basic economic systems–tradition, command, and the market. Then to understand a command economy, my students read about Russia. After they consider the “perverse incentives” created by central planning, we see how the arrival of McDonald’s temporarily changed a bit of it.

Some of my facts came from the video linked below. But then also, I recommend a very readable book by Vladislav M. Zubok  that details the collapse of the Soviet empire. Distant in time, the rise and fall of Perestroika is one way to perceive contemporary Russian behavior. Also, it is just plain interesting.

The video has a brief Russian language beginning but rapidly switches to English. Do stick with it. The excitement with the first McDonald’s conveys all we need to know about a command economy.

Showing the impact of “perverse incentives,” this a wonderful cartoon about command economy quotas: