longstanding failures of political education. Like the educated class in the USSR knew that the equivalent class in western countries had significantly more consumer goods, but they didn’t understand that that came from imperial plunder and superexploitation rather than some sort of magical “efficiency” of market competition, so they were shocked and confused when free market reforms crashed the economy and not only reduced their access to consumer goods but also all the basic necessities of life

This reminds me of when East Germany voted for reunification under a president from West Germany. Like, PLEASE you had to know what would happen if you did that. That wall was built because you knew that they would do anything to destroy you.