The Moment A Russian Leader Realized Communism Sucks Monkeyballs

Chicks On the Right ^ | 2/21/2016 | Mockarena

[MasterGunner01]

The Trabant was another shining example of socialist automotive engineering by the East German government. It was designed of some kind of composite material that was molded into the body. Powered by a wheezing, 2 cycle engine, it was a polluter of the first order. The hardware and trim would fall off by itself. Yet, it was the only car that East Germans could buy and you put your name on the waiting list. You waited sometimes six years or more for a chance to buy one of these junkers. Ironically, Trabants are now collectibles because most of them were scrapped after the fall of the Berlin Wall and East Germany's reunification with West Germany.

[antidisestablishment]

I was stationed in Germany when the wall fell, as well. They cancelled our leave, so we never made the trip to the East.

I do remember stories of the first Soviet leaders touring our base under Glasnost and Perestroika. One of our officers was surprised when a Russian General asked why America had such an enormous number of officers. While their entourage had a significant number of officers, there were many NCOs, but the General wasn’t looking at the personnel. Turned out, he was looking at the parking lot and assumed every car was owned by an officer!

[MUDDOG]

And Captain Block!

[mumblypeg]

Shoulda took him to a liquor store. Shelves stocked with multiple brands of vodka and other liquors woulda really blowed his mind.

[AFreeBird]

An excerpt from an interview with Viktor.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010111004300/http://fullcontext.org/people/belenko.htm

[MasterGunner01]

Dynamite interview with Viktor Balenko. I wish he had a chance to speak to more American students about his life in the Soviet Union.

[alpo]

A friend of mine from Sweden visited in winter and was amazed at the selection of vegetables available. He lived in an upscale suburb of Stockholm and still couldn’t get lettuce and other perishables.

I was in Prague in Nov. ‘72 and the banana had arrived. All the street vendors had bananas for a few days, then none.

[AFreeBird]

I was thinking the same thing when I read it.

[AppyPappy]

We can complain about Mexico but it is one of the reasons we have “fresh” vegetables all year.

[DoodleDawg]

This one has my vote for Thread Title of the Week.

[alpo]

Yes. And South America to fill in the gaps. In the equatorial zone, they grow crops year round. Vineyards, for example, are divided into 6 areas and one zone is pruned back every 2 months. This gives an almost continuous supply of fresh grapes.

[4Liberty]