Pollock’s labeling of the Soviet economy as socialist depended on Bolshevik self-descriptions.

Evidence

But how could he exclude the possibility that his account, which left what was specific to the socialist planned economy aside entirely', did not equally, or even better, demonstrate that a fascist or capitalist planned economy was possible? After all, his description of the Soviet Union as socialist’ rested essentially only on the Bolsheviks’ declarations of intent. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 242

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the Marx-Engels premise (later developed in authoritarian-state analyses) that an economy’s political character cannot be read off its planning mechanism alone — Pollock’s own later work on state capitalism and Horkheimer’s critique. — connects to: Pollock’s Soviet field study produced cautious, politically evasive analysis — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 133; Pollock predicted Western democracies would adopt state-directed capitalism — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 484; Pollock’s Soviet study aimed to prove planned socialist economy possible
• QUESTION: The cracks in Pollock’s identification of the USSR with socialism foreshadow the later Frankfurt School’s wrestling with Soviet state capitalism and the nature of Stalinism — worth tracing how this thread develops.

Broader Connections

• Pollock’s Soviet field study produced cautious, politically evasive analysis #complicates (0.75) — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination, 133
• Pollock predicted Western democracies would adopt state-directed capitalism #expands (0.75) — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination, 484