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The Curse Of Specialization 



Labor on Soviet farms is highly specialized. Some milk 

 cows, some drive tractors, some repair equipment, etc. 

 Many spend all their lives in one narrow specialty and 

 never have to make management or business decisions. To 

 the great majority having this narrow perspective, the 

 very thought of farming independently is truly 

 terrifying. 



The Matter Of Risk 



Life on a Soviet farm may be dull, but it is relatively 

 secure and predictable. Most peasant farmers have a 

 strong aversion to risks. Only 12 percent express 

 interest in farming independently. 



The Absence Of Appropriate Laws 



Developing a market-oriented agriculture is very 

 difficult in the absence of an appropriate body of law 

 governing property and commerce. Also missing is a court 

 system experienced in settling commercial disputes. 

 Unfortunately the quick evolution of essential laws is 

 unlikely in most republics, given the preoccupation of 

 governments with broader political issues. 



