this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2025
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Despite what? What is "everything?" Polling data for Hungary states that 72% of Hungarians believe they were better off in the Soviet Union than modern Capitalism, I am siding with the people of Hungary, and against someone going against the grain in this instance.
I live in the US Empire, and I will not tell you my age and dox myself further. I don't believe that has relevance either, trying to goad people into telling you personal information and then trying to claim they must be young and naive to disagree with you when they don't answer is just rhetorical garbage.
And according to your data from hungary: Hungary is an authocratic state with an not so free press. It wouldnt surprise me, if that data is somehow corrupted. Or problematic because of an indoctrinated public.
Capitalism indeed has devastated Hungary, sharp observation from you.
So you speak for other countries as an "expert" from the other side of the world? Thats really relevant.
Further more your age has relevance by experiencing other times, with other media and a other zeitgeist.
I never once claimed to be an expert. I claimed to have facts and statistics, do you believe that facts only count if they come from the country you live in?
If person A from country X says one thing, and persons B and C from country X say the opposite, does that automatically prove A correct? It doesn't automatically prove B and C correct either, but you took issue with me pointing out that B and C disagree with A.
You lecture people on the other side of the world about theire life by quoting a statistic from a relativly unfree and authocratic state ...
I have spoken with several people from post-soviet states who lived during Socialism as well, and speak of it fondly. When all they have is anecdotes and all I have are statistics and data I can find, I end up agreeing more with the people whose opinions align with the material reality of the facts at hand.
If I were from another country, I wouldn't care much for.the opinion of a US Trump supporter who thinks Biden is a Communist.
There were a lot of people who spoke fondly about the time of the National Socialism. Even my Grandmother. A kind and wise but not well educated woman. "It wasnt all wrong" is a typical saying in this matter.
Its because if you lived your normal life, played along, looked away and were lucky - you could have had a decent life. And looking back at you past, even at the bad times, makes you forgiving and nostalgic. And forgetting, about all the bad stuff. The pressure to behave "right", the fear of getting deported or killed, the shortage of basic resources, the horror about friends or family members who werent lucky.
But a wrong word in the school, a little mistake, a wrong friend or kind heart preventing you from looking away - and your life goes to shit. Depending on the shittines of the system of your country, this could mean, Detainment, torture, sexual abuse and murder - for you, your familiy and your friends.
And a lot of states in the SU were really fucked up. Some were kind of decent without a lot of cruelties. The people in the GDR (Eastern Germany) for example were lucky, because the GDR was the advertisement state for the SU. So werent killed so easy, "just" torture and detainment. Other states werent so lucky ...
Equating fascism to Communism originates from Nazi apologia called Double Genocide Theory. The Nazis invented industrialized mass murder, whereas the Communists made dramatic strides for the Working Class, including a mass democratization of the economy, lower wealth disparity, a robust and free healthcare and education system, and more.
Essentially, you're trying to replace actual historical analysis and statistics with emotional scaremongering based on an anecdote from your Nazi-sympathizing grandmother.
Moreover, the DDR actually had it worse, it was made to pay reparations for World War II while lacking a real industrial base, which was mostly in Western Germany. The Soviet Union was devastated by the Nazi's genocidal assault on the Slavic people's they deemed inferior, and therefore couldn't afford to rapidly rebuild the DDR or financially support them as much as they would have wanted.
I recommend you take some time to read historical accounts and genuine criticisms of the Socialist system, without just vaguely gesturing at it.
I didnt equate fasicm with communism. I equated the behavior of common people living in authocratic, injustice countries. If it helps you, I can use stories I heard from Syrians. As far as I know, Assad was just arsehole, without any special politcal agenda. But I dont know much about Syria. And in the end, it will be the same I assume.
Your actual historical analysis is more like a ... "Dissent opinion" ... I dont know where you get your "facts" from but really, try to get better sources. Or learn to interpret your sources better.
Fore example: You try to lecture me about the GDR, without knowing whats really about.
And by your conclusions about the economics: You want to justify despotism and torture with economical troubles? Really? I thought you were a communist, not a fascist.
And at last: My Grandmother wasnt sympathzing with the nazis, she was more like anti-fascist. You really have no clue about societies in authocratics regimes. You need to need learn a lot more. Probably try to travel to a country which overcame it just a little while ago. Talk to the people, inform yourself there. Youll get it then.
Syria is far worse under the current regime than it was under Assad, as you say, you don't actually know what you're talking about. Pretty self-aware of you to say.
As for facts and data, no, I get mine from mainstream sources and data from after the opening of the Soviet Archives. Just because I don't bother with PragerU doesn't mean I'm wrong, you haven't actually been able to address anything I've said on a factual basis so you resort to dodging and dismissing.
You do that again with the DDR, you just say I don't know anything rather than actually addressing what I say. What's the point? Who are you convincing? Nobody, at this point, you have nothing to actually contest what I say and you aren't convincing me.
As for torture and despotism, I don't approve, that's why I'm against the US Empire and its puppet regimes.
Thanks for the advice, but I already do, minus the travel. I'd like to some day. I suggest you do the same, and read books like Shock Doctrine and The Jakarta Method, which detail how 7 million people died during the transition from Socialism to Capitalism, and read about how the majority of people living in post-Soviet states wish they were still Socialist.
Far worse? Are you sure? Under his regime, there were Chem-Weapons dropped on his people ... On top of all the killing, torture and systemic Violence ... The new islamistic leaders are only for like 2? 3? Month in Power? Bold to call them far worse. But obviously you are an expert for Syrian politics. So I dont want to lecture you.
What actual data do you want? History Books? Witness-Records? Museums?
For the crimes in the SU probably start with the work of th NGO "Memorial". They tried to archive the systemic terror.
For an more imersive way to get into the topic "Gulag" and if yo German or French, there is a german-french documentary. It was produced with help from Memorial and several historians, which explains and shows soviet the Gulag-System in 3 Parts. From the early beginning after the revolution to the end of the SU. "Die sowjetische Hauptverwaltung der Lager", published by the German-French TV-Channel Arte. Probably you can find a translated version somewhere.
Im not a capitalist. You dont have to convince me that capitalism is a problem or that western imperialism did and ist still doing a lot of harm to the world. But that doesnt mean Im Ok with the imperialism and harmfullnes of other politcal systems.
Yes, the death counts from the HTS regime are staggering, having ISIS control Syria ended up being even worse. Go figure.
I'd like verified historical texts and records. Museums and personal anecdotes can be twisted far easier.
Don't speak German, so there's nothing I can really check, though I don't have much confidence in the anticommunist organizations of a country that was never de-nazified.
For you, I recommend the book Russian Justice.
The Soviets weren't Imperialist, the fact that you continue to confidently spout utter nonsense like thinking ISIS is somehow better than the Assad regime just because the West likes working with them more and your insistence that I ignore the mountains of evidence and first-hand accounts that go against what you and the other user believe means I can generally ignore your statements.