Are the Soviets understating their economy as part of their “Feigned weakness/get Western Aid” Disinformation campaign?
Statistics from a 1988 Soviet publication of world statistics comparing Soviet and U.S. production in a number of areas show amazing Soviet ECONOMIC STRENGTH in a number of areas, strength that runs completely counter to all appearances that the USSR is a total economic basketcase. A few examples of Soviet versus American production numbers are worthy of reflection: Overall production is 80% of America’s; crude oil production, 140%; natural gas production, 139% of America’s; cast iron, 286%; steel, 214%; iron ore, 504%; mineral fertilizers, 162%; tractor units, 463%; cement, 168%; cotton fabrics, 293%; woolen fabrics, 515%; universities and colleges, 83%; number of physicians, 218%; beds in hospitals, 369%. The Soviet grain production have been vastly Understated. We have been led to believe that the Soviets are technical‑industrial‑ financial buffoons. But more than half of the engineers in the world live in the Soviet Union. The average Soviet university graduate is far better educat
