Old Communists Here?

[Crow]

USSR was best cauntry in the warld and nothing nothing is even close to that country, I lived in Cuba , Netherlands, Russia,Ukraine, Armenia visited Many other country's I never seen country so close to total success in terms of public well being, your doter and sister could walk around at night and no one could touch them , what we have today??? Criminal capitalism ?? Or Criminal Bankism, ??? When we talk about Stalin and the that time please do not forget what time was it ?
In 1975 USSR have been by education first , it was family standards and not gay parades , well I do not say it is wrong... Or maybe I say??

Interesting, GN... I never had you pegged as a Communist.

Not saying that's a bad thing per se, I'm just slightly surprised.

[sgreger1]

The question Lx asks in the OP is an interesting one, because everyone has a different recollection of what it was like living there. Everyone I knew who lived there said they thank God that they were able to escape and come to America which is a million times better and that they wouldn't wish living in the USSR on their worst enemies. But then some people claim it was an awesome utopia with free housing and healthcare, no unemployment etc. It's almost hard to believe either side given how different the stories are. But everyone I know who escaped does NOT have very much nice to say about communism or the USSR in general.

[GN Tobacco Sweden AB]

Interesting, GN... I never had you pegged as a Communist.

Not saying that's a bad thing per se, I'm just slightly surprised.

Hahaha My Dear Seattleite I never said I was or I am communist I never been , what I say is that USSR was great country where lived 101 etnical groups I more of hard liner Republikan in extreme way but life made me like that, I do not like socialism that I can tell you for sure , becose where is left wing there is lots of blood , under the hard liners blood there is but much less

[wa3zrm]

I do not like socialism that I can tell you for sure , becose where is left wing there is lots of blood , under the hard liners blood there is but much less

Much truth and wisdom ^^^^^^^

[Crow]

I do not like socialism that I can tell you for sure , becose where is left wing there is lots of blood , under the hard liners blood there is but much less

Then you must dislike me, since I'm a Democratic Socialist or Social Democrat (or however the hell you'd like to label it)... Basically, a democracy with the best of both worlds (capitalism and socialism)

It's okay, I still love you GN brother (despite your craisy wheys).

[texastorm]

It was always better "way back when"... someday in the future someone will be writing about the utopia they lived in the 20teens.

Still it is interesting to read differing accounts of communism here where it was evidently the greatest thing ever, and back in the 70's when it was a repressive depressing state of living and so many seemed to hate it. Yep it was much better back in my day way back then.

In theory though I have to vote capitalism for the win, as the people that seem to gripe about it the most are the one who either cannot or will not take advantage of what it offers virtually anyone. The cream rises to the top. In communism no matter how good your idea was, it did not belong to you, you could rarely profit from it, and the political rulers where the biggest thieves of all. With capitalism, the crooks win, and then PAY the politicians... so the wealth gets spread more evenly.

But what do I know?.... I have never lived under communism, it might have been all flowers and pink bunny rabbits.

[Brukhanov]

I lived at a socialism, I live under capitalism. Comparison not in favor of capitalism for me. My many acquaintances speak: "we exchanged pride and honor for hamburgers". I agree with them.

[Jan]

Then you must dislike me, since I'm a Democratic Socialist or Social Democrat (or however the hell you'd like to label it)... Basically, a democracy with the best of both worlds (capitalism and socialism)

Sounds reasonable, take the best from what each society has on offer, put it together and you have a decent model!

[Frankie Reloaded]

I lived in a Commie country for the first 22 years of my life. No one in my family was in the Party. I did not feel that much oppressed; my main concern was lack of heavy metal LPs available in my country...
People mainly complained about inability to travel to Western countries without special permit, lack of Western goods like Sony record players etc., and... that was about it, I guess. In some cities you had to wait for years, before the "State" gave you your own apartment. But today you have to pay 30 years worth of mortgage to get the very same home, so people who got it free from the "State" are rather lucky and these flats are often their most important wordly possesions. Everybody had a job and home (sometimes just a room in housing project for the poorest/antisocial, though), there were NO homeless, even the worst elements of the society had to spend half their time in a workplace (refusing to have any job was an offense), crime rates were about one tenth of todays rates... Yes, houses were of uniform color and people wore less colorful clothes, that is right. I am not sure if that was caused by communism or just fashion, though.

On the other hand, I *heard* that life used to be sort of harsh in the 50-ies in Commie countries. So maybe then people had more problems than getting a new AC/DC or Motorhead LP or a permit to travel to Western Germany for vacation.

[whalen]

Frankie - We had to listen to disco music here!

[sgreger1]

I lived at a socialism, I live under capitalism. Comparison not in favor of capitalism for me. My many acquaintances speak: "we exchanged pride and honor for hamburgers". I agree with them.

What about America/capitalism forces you to get rid of your pride or honor though? And why for hamburgers? I just don't see how capitalism is somehow not compatible with pride and honor. It seems simple, in capitalism you can make money if you work, and if you earn it than you own it so you can do whatever you want with it, whether it be donating to charity or buying hamburgers. Seems to work okay for most people I don't see why you would think you have to give up your pride or honor just because of capitalism.

[Jan]

What about America/capitalism forces you to get rid of your pride or honor though? And why for hamburgers? I just don't see how capitalism is somehow not compatible with pride and honor. It seems simple, in capitalism you can make money if you work, and if you earn it than you own it so you can do whatever you want with it, whether it be donating to charity or buying hamburgers. Seems to work okay for most people I don't see why you would think you have to give up your pride or honor just because of capitalism.

++++++1

People were brainwashed into believing capitalism was bad and socialism was good. Reality is, there is no such thing as pure capitalism in modern western world. Capitalism in its "pure form" is only found in the 3rd world countries.

[Frankie Reloaded]

I just don't see how capitalism is somehow not compatible with pride and honor.

One example: the ongoing problem in my Commie country was lack of people for most professions. Companies, schools, etc. headhunted for people most of the time. They begged you to work, and I mean it. It was so common that it served as a plot for a movie comedy: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0174442/

Now, in Capitalism, most people have to beg for work. They have to swallow a lot of pride (and honor) to be able to feed their families.

[truthwolf1]

Not sure the exact years in American history but there was a time when one salary allowed for a house, car, vacations a family with a stay at home mom and a little to put away in savings. I remember being babysat by the neighbor who was a housewife and watching Leave it to Beaver re-runs so that is mabye how this perception evolved but I truly believe that was Capitalism at it's best. This is also probably around the time when many were questioning the Party way of life compared to the USA. As much as there are some thoughts of going back to a Communisitic way of life I would say I would much rather go back to whatever that Capitalism was back in the day. It just seems to me to be more of a natural model then two parents working and kids being raised by the state/strangers while government waiting lines are set in place for every task of life. Hmm wait! we are already in that situation in many ways.

Now you need two people working and loads of credit and that barely gets families through the month. Government also seems to be getting more and more involved with our lives as the years are going by. With half the kids now being born into single family homes you really have to wonder how this is all going to be sustained in the future?

The ship is sinking and I believe Austerity America is coming right after Europe.

[wa3zrm]

Bumpity Bump