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-   -   Hey Millennials: Communism Sucks, I Lived It (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53059)

tonyz 12-05-2017 08:08

Hey Millennials: Communism Sucks, I Lived It
 
Interesting reading for the younger folks - Venezuela confirms much in this piece if folks really care to look. Or, speak with many who fled Cuba. Communism sucks.

Hey Millennials: Communism Sucks, I Lived It
BY EWA RYSZARD NOVEMBER 15, 2017
Pjmedia

A recent poll found that fifty percent of millennials say they would rather live in a communist or socialist country than in a capitalist democracy. These numbers can’t be laughed off -- they should frighten you. Maybe they don’t know what communism means.

I do. I lived in Communist Poland.

Perhaps those fifty percent of millennials were not properly taught about communism in school. That’s too bad, and dangerous. So here are some examples for those misguided millennials to ponder, all of which I experienced in communist Poland.

Unreliable electricity

Do you millennials enjoy having electricity on demand to charge your devices? Then you would hate Action “O.” Action “O” stood for “Oszczednosc,” which translates to “Savings.” Poland’s communist government would notoriously turn off electricity to various areas of the city to “save” energy.

They had an interesting system which they described as “customer oriented”: they would turn the electricity off for one minute and turn it back on for five minutes as a warning that a shutoff was coming. You had exactly five minutes to find your matches and candles, because after that electricity would shut off for several hours.

If that wasn’t bad enough, we suffered under a shortage of matches.

Fake equality

The most demoralizing part of the communist system was that “all were considered equal.” This was a big lie.

It didn’t matter if you worked hard -- your pay was equal to the guy who barely showed up for work, or came to work drunk. The only way to advance was to join the political elite: the Communist party.

Imagine a system where the key to success wasn’t hard work or merit, but conniving and politics. If you sold your soul to the devil, you were rewarded.

My father worked at a water company in one of the major cities in Silesia Region. He was approached several times by the “party” PZPR with an offer of a promotion to a director’s position. But there was one small requirement.

He would need to first denounce his religion.

Yes, they asked him to become an atheist devoted solely to the communist ideology if he wanted to get a raise or promotion. Neither him nor our family would be able to attend mass or practice our religion in any manner.

Imagine a system where job success comes not from your productivity or character, but from the degree to which you adhere to party orthodoxy.

My dad is a religious and honorable man. He declined the offer and therefore never got promoted, and our lives never got better -- and I am so proud of him for his strong beliefs and integrity.

But the idea of “equality” under communism was a lie.

Needing “connections” to buy simple goods

Imagine a life where you couldn’t buy anything without first getting the approval of the political elite.

Those who joined the party had many, many privileges that an average person never had. To the most reliable zealots, the communist party distributed special “talony” stamps to purchase cars. If you didn’t have the stamps, you could wait years “in line” before becoming “eligible” for a car.

The party members even had special stores to purchase food -- and this higher quality food was often imported from the West. Instead of a Costco card, you needed a communist party card to shop there.

Needing “connections” to find a place to live

Connections were needed when applying for housing. For example, my family eventually received permission from the government to move to a larger three-room apartment. Yet the four of us had lived in a tiny two-room apartment because we didn’t have the party’s approval to find a bigger one for seven years.

How many millennials would accept needing to seek the approval of a political party or government before they could move anywhere?

Decades-long waits for apartments

If millennials want to live under communism, they need to accept being stuck living with their parents. Rentals are simply not available.

When I turned eighteen, I went to the government-run housing association with a full down payment deposit for a new apartment. The association explained the process: they would take my deposit now and add my name to the list. Once an apartment became available they would let me know, but until then I had to live with my parents. I asked: “How long will this take?” The answer: between 10 to 15 years!

This was the last straw. I took back my money and decided I would leave Poland in search of freedom from communist or socialist ideology.

Millennials are used to buying whatever they want. That doesn’t happen in communism. All the goods that make up daily life were rationed, if they could be had at all. Everything was rationed: sugar, soap, flour, detergent, beer, butter, and most of all, meat. You couldn’t buy the basics without the talony stamps.

We were limited to only 100 grams of chocolate per month! The average American trick or treat bag has about eight years of the communist’s chocolate allowance.

Empty grocery stores, corruption, and black markets

Communist rationing created a culture of black markets and a nation comfortable with lawbreaking. This fostered countrywide corruption. There was a famous saying about purchasing food “spod lady,” meaning “from under the counter.” Most of the time, grocery stores were completely empty. But if you paid extra, you could probably get something that the lady from behind the counter “stashed” away and sold for a profit.

I love this particular photo because it reminds me of what stores used to look like under the communist regime. The slogan in red translates to “your government (literally, “your authority”) cares about people.” If millennials are so enamored with communism, they’d better get used to government propaganda on the walls while they scrounge for basic food at the store.

Lines, lines everywhere

Communism means waiting in line.

We would wait for hours, and sometimes days, for the simplest things: food, detergent, toilet paper, matches, stockings or socks. Meat was always in great shortage, and the lines the longest. Since both of my parents worked, my grandmother would get in line at 3:00 a.m. to buy a single pound of meat for the family. I remember waiting hours to buy toilet paper or matches.

Violence -- and murder -- for expressing different ideas

Millennials need to understand that communism is a culture of repression and violence. All around us was oppression, even in the education system. Brilliant teachers or priests who didn’t conform to communist ideology or spoke against it were imprisoned, tortured, or killed. Our history books were rewritten, and we were taught lies about our own history.

I recall my 8th grade friend being severely punished because in his essay he disclosed that there was a pact between Hitler and Stalin against Poland before World War II began. Of course, this was the truth -- but in communism truth doesn’t matter. Only the revolutionary party dogma matters. The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was never to be mentioned.

Musical and cultural totalitarianism

Think millennials want government officials controlling the music they listen to or the programs they watch?

Under communism, there was absolutely NO freedom of speech. The authorities made it easy to brainwash the public. Drinking was heavily promoted and there was no access to the external world. No direct news from the West was allowed. We only had access to two TV channels (TVP1, TVP2), and one was solely devoted to communist propaganda news.

When Elton John’s song Nikita came out, it was blacklisted by the authorities. You could be imprisoned for simply listening to the song or having a bootlegged record. Yet we still did. I remember going to my friend’s apartment who had an illegal copy of Nikita and clinging to every word of freedom portrayed in the song:

And if there comes a time

Guns and gates no longer hold you in

And if you're free to make a choice

Just look towards the West and find a friend

-------------------

You, the free West, gave us a glimpse of hope. I believed that things could get better.

I pray that the millennial generation doesn’t blow it, and enable a return to the mad, dehumanizing world that I lived in under communism.

https://pjmedia.com/trending/hey-mil...m-sucks-lived/

Team Sergeant 12-05-2017 09:27

Mindless, Self-Centered Narcissistic Millennials aka "Lemmings"
 
Mindless, Self-Centered Narcissistic Millennials aka "Lemmings"


Easy to spot them, just look for those with their heads down reading texts while walking or driving.

They don’t have a clue what is going on around them and can only regurgitate what the socialist/communist main stream media tells them is important.

Integrity, Honor, Truth, Courage and Freedom are not words used by the Millennials as it’s all about them, and their “socialist” “lemming” media.

Even when fake news, lies, and corruption are exposed they refuse to believe it. Refuse to do their own research and will mindlessly accept whatever fake headline their fake news media reports.

The Mindless, Self-Centered Narcissistic Millennials will never know their Freedom is gone, until they cannot walk/drive and text. And until then they will continue their mindless migration toward self-destruction.

And this Mindless, Self-Centered Narcissistic socialist/communist movement is affecting every facet of government. Even those “not Millennial” are being affected by their Mindless rhetoric. These are the weak, the cowards the self-centered narcissistic and the sellouts, the Stanley McChrystals. Maybe it’s just “collapsing spine syndrome”? I’m not sure.

What I do know is that if these Mindless, Self-Centered Narcissistic Millennials aka Lemmings continue down this well-known path it will only lead to a “global elite” ruling the world and self-destruction.

I digress.


“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”


Actually, I think we just get tired of rescuing civilization from itself. Maybe Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler were right and murdering hundreds of millions of humans is the only way we can all “coexist”.

Sohei 12-05-2017 09:34

The society in which we live in is breeding lazy, hands-out, entitled people who want, want, want, but don't want to have to earn it.

They don't want to be saved from themselves. They simply want what "we" have and that is things we have actually earned. They want it...all of it.

Until that changes, we are heading down the drain and I don't see it changing anytime soon.

But, I'm glad that "my world" gets smaller every day and in my world, things are good!

bblhead672 12-05-2017 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyz (Post 636259)
Imagine a system where the key to success wasn’t hard work or merit, but conniving and politics. If you sold your soul to the devil, you were rewarded.

My father worked at a water company in one of the major cities in Silesia Region. He was approached several times by the “party” PZPR with an offer of a promotion to a director’s position. But there was one small requirement.

He would need to first denounce his religion.

Yes, they asked him to become an atheist devoted solely to the communist ideology if he wanted to get a raise or promotion. Neither him nor our family would be able to attend mass or practice our religion in any manner.

Imagine a system where job success comes not from your productivity or character, but from the degree to which you adhere to party orthodoxy.

My dad is a religious and honorable man. He declined the offer and therefore never got promoted, and our lives never got better -- and I am so proud of him for his strong beliefs and integrity.

I don't believe most millennials will have any problem denouncing religion in order to gain favor with the party and receive benefits above the "deplorables" who still cling to their religion.

Team Sergeant 12-05-2017 14:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by bblhead672 (Post 636276)
I don't believe most millennials will have any problem denouncing religion in order to gain favor with the party and receive benefits above the "deplorables" who still cling to their religion.

Not all of us "deplorables" believe in religion, dragons, vampires, fairies, bigfoot etc.



I am right of center for one and only one reason, Freedom.

bblhead672 12-05-2017 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant (Post 636309)
Not all of us "deplorables" believe in religion, dragons, vampires, fairies, bigfoot etc.



I am right of center for one and only one reason, Freedom.

Are you implying that bigfoot isn't real? :D

Team Sergeant 12-05-2017 20:36

Pygmy Marmoset
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by bblhead672 (Post 636317)
Are you implying that bigfoot isn't real? :D

Pygmy Marmoset, ever heard of it? Is a couple of "inches" long and weighs a couple of "ounces". Most have not but it might be the smallest primate on the planet, and yeah, humans found it and almost a dozen tiny primates in crazy thick jungles.

But we can't find a reported 7-9 foot, 400-500 lbs. hairy ape man anywhere in the world.


"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

7624U 12-05-2017 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant (Post 636331)
Pygmy Marmoset, ever heard of it? Is a couple of "inches" long and weighs a couple of "ounces". Most have not but it might be the smallest primate on the planet, and yeah, humans found it and almost a dozen tiny primates in crazy thick jungles.

But we can't find a reported 7-9 foot, 400-500 lbs. hairy ape man anywhere in the world.


"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

That is because everyone keeps shooting them with a .22LR from what ive seen.
Never a Magnum of some sort when you need one or 12GA with slugs its always birdshot or the witness dropped the gun and ran.

Strange experimental Creatures seem to like military bases also, Must be some good hiding places that I have never seen. Of course I don't have a high enough clearance it must be need to know information.

tonyz 12-05-2017 21:09

Lol...always learn new things here...and when I do I like to use my new vocabulary in a simple sentence...so, here goes...

"Mika tells me that Barry thinks like a fu$king commie and is hung like a roaring Pygmy Marmoset."

miclo18d 12-06-2017 07:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant (Post 636331)
Pygmy Marmoset, ever heard of it? Is a couple of "inches" long and weighs a couple of "ounces". Most have not but it might be the smallest primate on the planet, and yeah, humans found it and almost a dozen tiny primates in crazy thick jungles.

But we can't find a reported 7-9 foot, 400-500 lbs. hairy ape man anywhere in the world.


"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

Sorta like those effing red cockaded woodpeckers... have you really ever seen one? And yet half the trees on military bases had paint all over them!!!!

I think it was a conspiracy to keep us from training!

Golf1echo 12-06-2017 08:30

For those a little older you will recall the class room projector as a media that distributed information to the class. I remember seeing a clip of a man who explained Communism thru a lesson about a car for his child...it stuck and is as good as any in explaining the difference between Communism and Capitalism...

When his child turned 16 they were given a car, maintenance and repairs were paid for, gas and insurance was paid for however when the child turned 18 they would takeover paying for gas, insurance, maintenance, repairs, etc...So what happened initially when the child was given the car...they drove their friends all over the place, they were not concerned with fender benders, driving irresponsible..peeling out, not noticing the warning lights and gauges, keeping the car maintained. When they turned 18 they stopped driving all over the place, friends had to start contributing, the car was maintained, it was driven safely and taken care of.

We had already become aware that the Soviet Union was having internal issues with manufacturing, farming, logistics, infrastructure and the like at the time of seeing the film and later we saw the collapse of the Soviet Union more from the inside than any external pressures.

The young in this country that espouse Communism probably do so out of being different, trendy, and opposite... surely they don't out of an in-depth knowledge and experience that somehow Communism is a better or more sustaining model for society. It may be the ignorance that things paid for by others is good? As they say " Nothing is free". Communism is appealing for those who are interested in governing a totalitarian form of government it is not for free societies plan and simple!

GratefulCitizen 12-06-2017 10:45

Jordan Peterson shreds Marxism in three minutes.
https://youtu.be/OlB_xNOAn1c

abc_123 12-06-2017 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by miclo18d (Post 636348)
Sorta like those effing red cockaded woodpeckers... have you really ever seen one? And yet half the trees on military bases had paint all over them!!!!

I think it was a conspiracy to keep us from training!

Joe goes out there and paints rings on trees on the weekends. Been going on for years. :D

miclo18d 12-17-2017 09:11

Ok progressives, I know you think, “If only socialism is done the ‘right way’, it will be wonderful!”

Well, the fantasy never seems to match reality.

Quote:

The student’s friends think he joined the thousands — possibly tens of thousands — of people, rights groups and academics estimate, who have been spirited without trial into secretive detention camps for alleged political crimes that range from having extremist thoughts to merely traveling or studying abroad. The mass disappearances, beginning the past year, are part of a sweeping effort by Chinese authorities to use detentions and data-driven surveillance to impose a digital police state in the region of Xinjiang and over its Uighurs, a 10-million strong, Turkic-speaking Muslim minority that China says has been influenced by Islamic extremism.
https://apnews.com/1ec5143fe4764a1d8...-western-China

Read the whole thing Snowflakes and you’ll see what ‘Feel the Burn’ really means. Just remember that you’re ‘uniqueness’ is subservient to the State... Kamerad!


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