Trotsky in his autobiography recounts an amazing detail. In 1920 he told the Politburo that unless they got off of "war communism" and stopped confiscating goods the economy would collapse. He says they should tax people, but let them keep what they own. (Hey! So what about Communism?)) So he noticed the problem. There was no incentive to work in the communist system except fear of arrest and prison. But no positive motivation. Why work if all your needs are given for free?
[However I wonder if he ever wondered about the system he helped put in place. ]
