Posts from How many Soviet republics were there?

In short, I don't know much about the Soviet Union, but I can definitely say that I know people who lived there, and the vast majority of them say that life was much better there than it is now! And I share that opinion.

In short, I don't know much about the Soviet Union, but I can definitely say that I know people who lived there, and the vast majority of them say that life was much better there than it is now! And I share that opinion.

of course, there is no such society where everyone is happy

SO, WHERE WERE WE HEADING, REALLY???

Added 9 minutes later
and by the way, I'm judging based on the USSR, NOT on movies, but on the stories of people who lived there. And they really didn't think about money at all!

This state, during the time of collectivization, killed more than a million of its most hardworking citizens, breaking the back of the Russian peasantry (and let's not blame only Stalin for this, but rather read Marx and understand that the kolkhoz, just in a harsher form, is an inherent part of this system).

... and let's rather read Marx and understand that the kolkhoz, just in a harsher form, is an inherent part of this system...

... and you say that it cared for its people. What kind of care was it? It was care without any right to personal initiative.

For me, whether in the USSR (and we often judge it by Soviet films) or in today's Russia, the main idea is money, or its non-material expression — perks, for the sake of which people, despite their views, join various organizations. Another favorite Russian concept, characteristic of the USSR, is "khalyava" (freebies). That is the idea. For the sake of a stable salary, the people are ready to gaze faithfully into the bright communist distances, sometimes forgetting to look around and ask where we are heading.

2) to some semblance of communism. In this case, the USSR is one big fiction, since the main goal of this state — the construction of a communist system — was not realized, and all communists are great deceivers.

Absolutely correct. A bloody power combining the incompatible. It's like the Matrix, and Alexei and the others are like the traitor from the movie who betrayed the team just to return to the sweet times rather than the harsh reality. (only here they don't betray, they sigh :) )

Prices, music, movies — all this can be organized under a normal state system. You simply like it, but it doesn't relate strictly to the USSR. It's the people and their mindset, mentality.

What idea (which, according to you, existed before but doesn't exist now) are you talking about? Please explain.
In my opinion, whether it's the USSR (and we often judge it based on Soviet films) or today's Russia, the main idea is money, or its intangible expression – benefits, for which people, contrary to their views, join various organizations. Another favorite Russian concept, characteristic of the USSR, is "getting something for free." That's the idea. For a stable salary, people are ready to look faithfully towards the bright communist future, sometimes forgetting to look around and ask themselves where we are heading.

And I am also struck by your widespread pseudo-patriotism on the forum.

Someone wrote: "We used to focus only on America, but now we have to consider even Latvia and Estonia."
Your words are frankly disgusting. And what, are they not countries? And how are they worse than Russia? Russia is the heart of the USSR, and it is the same USSR, only smaller.

Hundreds of peoples who have nothing in common, who were forcibly included in the Empire/Federation and who cannot leave by their own free will. The same was true of the USSR. A crisis was brewing; a country consisting of dozens of completely different countries cannot exist. History is proof of this. The empire of Alexander the Great collapsed 10 years after his death. All empires (the Arab Caliphate, for example) collapsed either after the death of their leaders or slowly moved towards that. Unite Ukraine and China and call it the UKS (Ukrainian-Chinese Union), and what? What do they have in common? Culture? Language? Religion?

And, as usual, everything said here is IMHO, and does not claim to be the absolute truth.

I don't blame Stalin for everything (and I don't even know where you got that from). It's silly to blame Stalin alone for the deaths of millions. And who killed those millions? Just other people.
I'm not saying that you specifically blame Stalin. It's just that many people who excuse the atrocities of the communists tend to do this. They say, "It wasn't us, it was all Stalin."
And also, Sage, your comparison of communism and democracy isn't quite accurate. It's like comparing an orange to a rhinoceros. Which one is better? Democracy is a type of political regime (democratic, authoritarian, totalitarian), and communism is a socio-economic formation (primitive communal, slave-owning, feudal system, capitalism, communism). So, if communism is to be compared to anything in this case, it should be compared to capitalism.

Added 7 minutes later
Bloody? - yes. But do you know of any countries without bloody pages in their history? I'm not sighing because I think it would be nice to go back there, but because our current rulers don't want to do almost anything for the well-being and prosperity of their country.

Rulers, rulers... Sage, maybe a slightly rhetorical question: what have you... no, what have we, all those present on the forum, done for the prosperity of our country?

Sage;85019And also, Sage, your comparison of communism and democracy is not entirely accurate. It's like comparing an orange and a rhinoceros. Which one is better? Democracy is a type of political regime (democratic, authoritarian, totalitarian), while communism is a socio-economic formation (primitive communal, slave-owning, feudal system, capitalism, communism). So, if communism is to be compared to anything in this case, it should be compared to capitalism.

Rulers, rulers... Sage, perhaps a slightly rhetorical question: what have you... no, what have we, all those present on the forum, done for the prosperity of our country?