[smg]

Growing up in India, I had quite a few of these Soviet gems on my bookstand. The only thing I had that originated from the West were a pair of Levi jeans. I was shocked to find out that a system that could make those jeans would win against one that made those books. In the early 2000s I was working in SV and repeated this remark to a Russian colleague. He told me of course the system that made the jeans is superior - he did not get his first pair of jeans till he got to the US and the trousers that he wore in Russia were absolutely horrible when compared to the jeans. Jeans to him were a marvel of engineering. The fact that a system could produce affordable jeans that would last for years, which people could buy whenever they wanted by strolling into their neighborhood shop was a much bigger achievement than state sponsored STEM books

[notdang]

I grew up with plenty of very good Soviet books and without Levi jeans.

The jeans were a status symbol, almost impossible to find and the price was 1-2-3 salaries of an engineer, teacher or doctor.

Now that I have more access to jeans but having troubles finding good books for my kids, I would chose the books over the jeans. But I wouldn't go back to USSR.

[xwolfi]

It's also a bit a false narrative that systems win or lose: the USSR people decided they wanted to change, and they changed. The system they have now is not exactly the American system, you'll agree, and they're not dead: so what "won" ? KGB-controlled non-communist autocracy, or Liberal Capitalism ? I'd say the first :)

Now what inspire copy from other country, maybe your definition of winning, is probably the second one. But it didn't have to be at the fall of the wall, or the USSR. The problem was always the USSR, but the solution will probably rarely be the US.