I remember a story told to me some years ago. Some people I knew went to Moscow when the Soviet Union still existed. They were American tourists aboard a bus going down the highway.
It started to rain. The bus driver quickly pulled over and jumped out. He installed windshield wipers on the bus. The bus passengers noticed all the cars on the highway had pulled over to do the same thing.
They never drove anywhere with the wiper blades installed unless it was raining. Wiper blades were so hard to find, they would often be stolen if left on the car because there was such a chronic shortage of wiper blades.
When we were over there back in the 70s, they were grumbling about having toothpaste but no tooth brushes. Apparently the government made lists of what products were to be made every year but if something was left off, well, too bad.
Crazy shopping there, too. It’s not like tooth brushes and toothpaste would be in the same shop. That would make too
much sense. A shop might sell toothpaste and boots and several blocks away you’d finally find toothbrushes sold along side sewing machines.
One lady in our group broke her shoe heal so tossed the shoes in the garbage but a hotel employee personally delivered them to her next destination.
Commies use starvation as a tactic - same with 'shortages'... make's 'em feel superior. Our white trash 'elites' would do the same if they thought they could get away with it.