East Germans lost much in 1989

The Guardian ^ | November 8, 2009 | Bruni de la Motte

[VeniVidiVici]

Dude its not like captialism has done any better. Captialism is loose cannon right now, full of incomptence

Capitalism goes thru normal business cycles. Say what you want about the banks, but NOBODY was bitching about the loans they were getting, qualified or not.

Some people have more than others but all have the chance to do with their lives what they want. Unfortunately, many just piss it away and blame other people for not being able to afford 24" rims. Ups and downs. Sort of the way life works.

Communism is a tightly controlled monetary system with a rigidly controlled populace. That's the only way they can make it work. Under communism you are either very rich or very poor. Politicians are rich - everyone else is poor. So, yes, it's more fair in the fact that you have just as much as everyone else, which is nothing. You share a flat with your extended family and perhaps share a common bathroom or kitchen with other families. You cannot go where you want, say what you want or do what you want. You are told where to go, what to do and even what you will major in in college, if you're picked to go to college.

I love it when people, particularly young people, jack their jaws about "communism" and compare it to the "downtrodden" under capitalism. They obviously have NO IDEA of what they speak other than what their Che-loving teachers have told them in class.

[VeniVidiVici]

Almost forgot :-) Some pics I took at the GDR 40th Anniversary parade in East Berlin in October of 1989. A month later the country ceased to exist. Well, for all practical purposes.

T-72 and GDR officer

2S3 155mm SPArty and GDR Arty troops

BMP-1. GDR Troops in background (that guy up close and personal checking out the BMP was a buddy of mine. They were NOT happy he was that close)

GDR Airborne troops and their 'mascot'.

[Kozak]

Lots of Nazi’s lost much in 1945 too.

[inflorida]

Thanks for sharing the pictures and great comment too.

I visit Berlin quite frequently and even though the east side has greatly improved, to the point of being equal to the west, there is still evidence of the Russian occupation. Just one rotation in the Fernsehturm and you can see the decrepit apartments still standing along the east Berlin borders.

[dfwgator]

Don’t you remember the words to the East German National Anthem:

“Hail Hail East Germany
Land of vine and grape
Land where you’ll regret
Any try to escape
No matter if you take a running jump,
or tunnel under the wall
Forget it, the guards will kill you—
if the electrified fence doesn’t first”

[amigatec]

Anybody who ever was in East Germany and/or ever looked down the wall from Checkpoint Charlie, knows the East Germans didn’t have much to lose!

I sent 27 months in West Berlin, and the East was just down right creepy!!

[JimWayne]

My brother, who has a PhD in the philosophy of science, lost his research job at the academy and ever since has only been able to find odd, low-paid temporary jobs.

Really? RESEARCH in PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE? What did he expect after that useless degree? A million dollar a year salary?

[colorado tanker]

Thanks for the insights.

I've always felt the West/East German experience was a perfect experiment in a communist versus Western state. It took just thirty years for communism to bring poverty and totalitarianism to half of what was once one of the most prosperous and sophisticated countries in the world, and in the West was once again.