Thoughts on the “Plan” for State Economy
The fundamental error we have all made up to now has been that we have relied on the best-case scenario—and in doing so, we have fallen into bureaucratic utopias. Only a minuscule fraction of our plans has actually been realized. Life itself has laughed at our schemes; everyone has laughed at them.
We must fundamentally overhaul this approach.
We must plan for the worst—though we already possess at least a small but nonetheless practical body of experience.
Food supplies? Frumkin says: the ideal target is 150 million poods in tax, plus 50 million poods through barter, plus 40 million poods from Ukraine—totaling 240 million poods.
We should instead adopt a target of just 200 million poods per year across the board.
But what are we to do with this paltry, famine‑ridden figure? 200 divided by 12 equals 16 and 2/3.
(α) First, allocate the minimum required for the army—that is, calculate rations based on the absolute bare minimum needed for military personnel.
(β) In the plan, assign the army’s economic activities with utmost modesty, even extreme modesty.
For example, one Saturday workday could involve 60% of the army’s personnel (as participants).
On one out of every three Saturdays, 50% of the participants (that is, 50% of the army) would take part—and so on.
(γ) For civilian employees, implement drastic reductions in staffing levels.
(5) Workers.
Immediately compile a list of the best enterprises—indispensably enterprises—across all industrial sectors.
Close anywhere from half to four-fifths of the existing facilities.

The remaining enterprises should operate on two shifts—only those that can be sustained by sufficient fuel and grain, even under conditions of minimal grain production (200 million poods annually) and limited fuel supplies (?), for the entire year.
Carry out this initial rough draft, as a first approximation, without delay—no later than within a month.
Fuel is available.
The People’s Commissariat for Railways exists.
Do not delve deeper into food supply details or refine estimates further; simply adopt a target of 200 million poods.
Proceed with industrial planning—by sector and by province—without delay, and most importantly,
assign 70% of the members of the State Planning Commission to work 14 hours a day (let science endure for a while: since the rations are adequate, we must compel workers to labor diligently).
Each individual shall be tasked with specific assignments under “general oversight” (or whatever this is called in the State Planning Commission’s regulations?)—with responsibility assigned to individual enterprises.
Suppose we have 700 large institutions, enterprises, railway depots, state farms, and the like—and that, even under the most stringent constraints, we can manage to produce only 200 million poods of grain annually—we must nevertheless set these enterprises in motion and keep them running continuously from January 1, 1921, to January 1, 1922.
700 divided by 35 members of the State Planning Commission equals 20.
Let us assign 30 members (not all members of the State Planning Commission will oversee ongoing operations continuously).
You are responsible for ensuring that these 30 individuals maintain constant vigilance.
You bear ultimate responsibility for this task.
Beyond that, for the remaining 30–70 less critical tasks, handle them casually, fleetingly, with only occasional, sporadic updates—not with constant oversight, but rather with periodic, infrequent check‑ins.
To maintain constant vigilance means taking full personal responsibility for the rational use of fuel and grain, for maximizing both grain procurement and fuel delivery, for conserving fuel (in industry, on the railways, and beyond), for economizing on food supplies (feeding only the most capable workers), for increasing labor productivity, and for similar objectives.

Thoughts on the “Plan” for State Economy
As for everything else, either lease it out, hand it over to whomever you wish, close it down, or simply “abandon” it—forget about it until such time as we can reliably count not on 200 million poods of grain plus X million poods of fuel, but on 300 million poods of grain plus 150% of X in fuel.
These are my thoughts on the State Planning Commission.
Think it over. Let’s discuss.
July 4th.
Lenin
Written on July 4, 1921.
First published on May 29, 1924, in issue No. 120 of the newspaper “Trud.”

Printed from the manuscript.