Quote from: rainingbitcoins on July 29, 2011, 03:52:24 AM

Quote from: Rassah on July 28, 2011, 09:43:51 PM

Quote from: rainingbitcoins on July 28, 2011, 06:06:31 PM

Quote from: Rassah

and btw, despite what people's opinions are, Poland is way better now than it was under Communism.

I don't know if you can't read graphs or what, but Poland was one of the only two countries where people think they're better off now than under Communism.

The results were close to 50/50. It's quite better than that.

And according to you it's because only dumb people are left? Seriously? Asking someone if their lives were better now or 20 years ago is about the simplest question you can manage. Even the dumbest person you can find has the ability to remember if their life was in danger every single day. If it was all as bad as you say, you'd think it would be more like 90/10 or worse.

8% of people in Hungary think life is better now than under Communism. 12% in Ukraine, 13% in Bulgaria, 23% in Lithuania - you know, you have a really weird definition of 50/50.

If you are going to quote my 50/50, and point out how it's ridiculous that I think it's 50/50, please quote the whole thing. I was referring specifically to Poland.

As for the rest, people had guaranteed employment, had their apartment provided for them, had free healthcare, free education, cheap transportation ($0.05 one way on metro), cheap food (loaf of bread $0.20), and calm, safe neighborhoods. Now they have to pay rent or mortgage, pay money to get decent healthcare, transportation and food are much more expensive, and crime and burglaries are rampant.
What those people forget about their past "comfortable" life is that:
They used to have to live on $320 a month (combined salary of both my parents working high up at a biotech lab), and now earn $2,000 or more
To get an appartnemt used to mean you have to get on a 10+year waiting list, and most lived in a cramped apartments all together with their parents and grandparents
The quality of free healthcare they get now hasn't changed. They just realized how horrible it was now that they can compare it to type you pay for (my dad had to have his appendix removed under USSR. They only went as far as sterilizing the tools, but didn't give him any anesthetic.)
Food was cheap, but not available. The stories about standing in line are true. If you heard that a local grocer is getting potatoes, or anything fancier, that day, you got in line at 6 or 5 in the morning to make sure you got some. Now, prices are higher, but also because you actually have options and see how much things really cost.
Neighborhoods were calm, safe, and quiet, but really only in people's heads. There were still drunks, burglars, and rapists around, though not as many. The reason was that people were really scared of the government, which can come, arrest you, and send you to a work camp for whatever reason. So, really, the dark, hidden, and without cause threat got replaced by blatant, visible, and obvious threat. At least this threat is visible enough to avoid.
Public transportation and education are still top notch though, so can't fault those.
Really, it's a case of "'mo money 'mo problems" and "ignorance is bliss"

Also, remember how it was MUCH better here in America in the 50's? All the old people have such nostalgia for it. Never mind the war, the rampant racism and misogynism, and all the other bs people had to deal with.