Q. Nowadays the government is turning it's focus from taxes to cesses for additional revenue generation. Discuss the possible political and economic consequences. (250 words)
Answers
Body-
Discuss in points, the problems that surfaced due to fall of communism in Eastern Europe.
E.g New conflicts soon arose like the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, war in Georgia and split of Yugoslavia into five nation states; in the absence of Russia and US acting as policemen,the threat of rogue or unstable or dangerous nations acquiring nuclear, chemical or biological weapons grew significantly; the problem of economic reconstruction of the Eastern Europe which in itself brought several problems like Right-wing backlash against aid from the West, selling of nuclear weapons by Russia etc; unification of Germany leading to huge refugee influx and growing uneasiness of Poland etc.
Conclusion– Based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
Background:-
The collapse of communism in the late 1980s marked the end of Soviet rule over the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. The change was sudden and swift in most of these countries, resulting in greater social and personal freedoms, as well as economic upheaval and political chaos.
The disintegration of the Soviet Union resulted from a number of different factors. Three important ones are nationalism among Soviet satellite states, democratic opposition movements, and economic crisis. Along with these elements, the role of Mikhail Gorbachev should not be discounted.
New set of problems arised:-
Ethnic issues resurfaced:-
The end of Soviet domination also unleashed pent-up ethnic and national grievances, leading to sometimes-brutal confrontations over centuries-old borders and political supremacy.
There arose sectional conflicts in many parts of Russia especially in Chechnya.
One of the major challenges faced by Europe in the wake of the collapse of communism has been that posed by ethnic nationalism, a problem that erupted violently in the Balkans in the 1990s.
Freed from Soviet control, such divisions resurfaced promptly.
Yugoslavia separated into multiple countries along ethnic lines, as did Czechoslovakia, which split into Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Lesser squabbles threatened to erupt along the Hungarian-Romanian border in Transylvania, as well as on portions of the German-Poland border.
Political:-
Ethnic and religious divisions also manifested themselves in the creation of new political parties, several of which aimed to redress ages-old grievances.
For some countries, such as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, oil and natural gas exports have created prosperity but have also enabled corruption.
Countries such as Lithuania and Latvia underwent dramatic transformations by quickly turning to the West, adopting Western ideals and political leanings, while other countries, such as Armenia and Tajikistan, have struggled to flourish in the post-Soviet era and many citizens remain poverty-stricken while the states and their politics remain in flux.
US became the dominant power
Transition difficulties:-
One of the great challenges was the difficulty of transition from communism to democracy. East European states so long had depended upon Soviet Union for central planning and guidance.
The process of transition to democratic government posed great problems for the people of Eastern Europe as well as Soviet Union.
Economic issues:-
The inflation was at the highest in Russia as well as in East European nations. There was rapid reduction in production as well as unemployment. All former countries of Soviet Union had faced economic depression.
The Eastern European states found it difficult to adjust with the capitalism
The problem of economic reconstruction of the Eastern Europe which in itself brought several problems like Right-wing backlash against aid from the West, selling of nuclear weapons by Russia etc
Immigration and the defense of human rights are two problems that now confront the United States, as well as a United Europe.
The threat of rogue or unstable or dangerous nations acquiring nuclear, chemical or biological weapons grew significantly
Despite issues collapse of communism spurred attempts at political democracy in all but Romania. Poland, Hungary and the former Czechoslovakia in particular enjoyed a period of political openness, freedom of speech and the press and the formation of many new political parties and interest groups.