Since Richter’s book is posted on this site, I thought I might point out what seems to me a very strong quote, and attach a similar view from another country.
Richter, Eugene. [1891] 1893. *Pictures of the Socialistic Future.*Translated by Wright, Henry. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Company.
Richter’s prediction:—
“As in feudal times, labour is now again regarded as a kind of villanage, a slavish toil. The system of giving the same remuneration for labours of the most diverse values; the absence of all prospect of bettering one’s condition, no matter how great one’s industry and skill… [T]here has been a disappearance of those careful circumspect leaders….who more or less regulated supply according to demand… In endeavouring to get rid of the disadvantages of the socialistic method of manufacture, you place such restrictions on the freedom of the person, and of commerce, that you turn Germany into one gigantic prison…
The compelling of all alike to work; the equality of the working hours for all; the forcing of persons to certain kinds of labour utterly regardless of their wishes and tastes; these are things which we had hitherto had no experience of outside the walls of penitentiaries. And even in those institutions, the more industrious and skilful inmates had the opportunity given them of earning a trifle in the way of something extra. The similarity to prison life is further maintained through the system of each person’s having to occupy a certain dwelling, just as prisoners have their cells apportioned to them. The fixtures which are to form an inseparable portion of each dwelling still further enhance the resemblance to gaol life… And if it were not for the fear of Socialism dying out, you would altogether separate husband and wife, as is done in the lock-up…
In order that nothing may be wanting to complete the resemblance to a gaol, we have now the same uniform clothes proposed… To those in gaol there was, at least, the possibility of an act of pardon, which might some day open a path to liberty… [T]hose who are handed over to your socialistic prison are sentenced for life without hope of escape; the only escape thence is suicide…
Your explanation of all this is, that we are at present in a state of transition. Nothing of the sort. Things will get worse and worse the longer the present system lasts… All the proposals of the Chancellor will prove as powerless in making good the vast [government] deficit, as our attempted organisation, some years ago, of production and consumption in our prisons proved powerless to cover even a third part of the current expenses of those places. In a very short time, in spite of the Chancellor’s programme, you will find yourselves face to face with a new and a greater [government] deficit… The inexorable law of self-preservation will hence compel the Socialists….to engage in a deadly struggle, which will last until that superfluity of population, which can only be supported by such forms and systems as [the Socialists] have uprooted, shall have succumbed…
I say, ‘Down with the socialistic gaol regime! Long live Liberty’ ” (Richter [1891] 1893:113-118).
[Rezun, Vladimir] Suvorov, Victor. 1982. Inside the Soviet Army. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Rezun’s summary of Socialism in Russia:—
“The great ideal of Socialism are simple and can be understood by anyone. Society is built upon reasonable principles. Unemployment is thing of the past. Medical services are free. Food, in reasonable quantities, is free, too. Every person has a separate room, with light and ventilation. Water, drainage, and heating are free. Everyone has the right to some free time. There are no rich or poor. Everyone has comfortable, durable clothing, appropriate to the time of year—and this is, of course, provided free. Everyone is equal before the law. You may say this is nothing but a beautiful dream, that no one has ever succeeded in building pure socialism. Nonsense. In every country there are already islands of pure, untainted Socialism, in which each one of these requirements are met.
Is there a prison in your town? If so, go and take a look at it—you will find yourself in a society in which everyone is fed, and everyone has work, in which clothing, accommodation and heating are all provided free. Soviet Communists are frequently reproached for having attempted to build a socialist society but having produced something which closely resembles a prison. Such a charge is entirely unjustified. In the Soviet Union some of the inmates have larger cells than others, some eat well, others badly. There is complete confusion—a lot remains to be done to tidy up the situation. True socialism, in which everyone is truly equal, does not just resemble a prison—it is a prison.
It can not exist unless it is surrounded by high walls, by watchtowers and by guard-dogs, for people always want to escape from any socialist regime, just as they do from a prison. If you try to nationalise medicine and, from the best possible motives, to guarantee work for all the doctors, you will find that they pack their bags and leave the country. Try to bring a little order into the situation and your engineers (the best ones), your designers, your ballerinas (again, the best ones) and many, many others will also flee abroad. If you continue your attempts to establish a model society you will need to build walls around it. You will be forced to do this sooner or later by the flood of refugees.
The Politburo is the governing body of the prison. You should not abuse them for the privileges they possess. Those in charge of a prison must be better off in some ways than the convicts. The KGB are the warders, the Party is the administrative and educational organization, the army guards the walls. When I am asked why I chose to become a Soviet officer, I say that those who serve as guards are better fed and have a pleasanter and more varied life than those in the cells. It was only some time after I joined the Army that I realized that it is far easier to escape from a prison if you are one of the guards. Trying to escape from a cell is hopeless. In most states, life in the armed services is far more strictly regulated than it is for most of the inhabitants. In the USSR, however, the reverse is true. The whole society finds itself in prison and, even though the Armed Services are kept under the tightest possible control….the life of an officer is far better than the drudgery which is the lot of the ordinary Soviet citizen.
While I was still one of those guarding our beloved prison, I carried out a sociological investigation among my brother officers, in an attempt to discover what had led them to tie themselves, hand and foot, to the Soviet Army, without expecting any guarantees or any form of contract. Naturally, I approached my colleagues with the greatest care and discretion. ‘You remember,’ I would ask, ‘how, when Khrushchev came to power he had 1,200,000 men thrown out of the Army with the stroke of his pen? Your father was one of them; after another three months he would have completed 25 years’ service. He was kicked out like a dog, without any sort of pension, in spite of his medals and despite the blood which he had shed for the country during his four years of war service. How did you, Kolya/Valentin/Konstantin Ivanovich, come to choose an officer’s career in spite of that?’ I collected several hundred replies to my question. They all amounted to the same thing—everyone wanted to escape the drabness of life in our prison cells” ([Rezun] Suvorov 1982:268-269).
Other other have similarly remarked (i.e. Boris Brutzkus’ wonderful theoretical and empirical book, but he softened it to “at best a well supplied barracks”, but completely predicted as Richter the mass starvations).