Back in the ‘90s I worked with a gal just over from Russia (striking blonde). She told of the following:
1) Home deliveries of milk were uncertain - it depended upon whther the milkman/company paid off the mafia to allow them to deliver.
2) When you bought broccoli, half of it was dirt - no squeaky clean stuff like you see here.
3) Stand alone drink dispensers of sweet tea had a tin cup on a chain. You used part of your drink to rinse out the cup before you drank - no cups dispensed, only the tea.
4) Her mom came with her. The first time they entered a supermarket, her mom started screaming. Manager, et al came over to see what was the matter. Mom was overwhelmed at all the food available and freaked out..
How long before we are there?
Reminds me of the movie, ‘Moscow On The Hudson.” Robin Williams’ character goes into the supermarket, asks the manager where’s the line for coffee. Manager says, ‘no line, coffee’s in aisle three.” Williams, in disbelief, starts reading off all the coffee brands, finally collapsing on the floor in an anxiety attack.
Why did even the hardest-core liberal in America think that was a system that "worked"?
Yes most leftists that believe this crap were from middle and upper clases, but didn't they SEE how the average Soviet lived?
Even during our great depression you didn't see people like this. And this was the Soviet Union "heyday". Not like things looked any different in 1971 or 1951.
“Her mom came with her. The first time they entered a supermarket, her mom started screaming. Manager, et al came over to see what was the matter. Mom was overwhelmed at all the food available and freaked out..”
I saw this same thing with two Polish guys the first time they entered a supermarket over here in the mid 80’s. They stood in shock at the front door and had to compose themselves before entering. One started to weep. Then they were like two kids in a candy store.
The people were cool. The government not so cool.
***4) Her mom came with her. The first time they entered a supermarket, her mom started screaming. Manager, et al came over to see what was the matter. Mom was overwhelmed at all the food available and freaked out..***
Same thing almost happened here when a Russian exchange student first visited Walmart.
One thing we were taught 60 years ago in school on the high plains was how to make a cup out of a sheet of paper.
I’ve never forgot.
I'm thinking the culture has a lot to do with the lines. With just a couple items sold in each store, you spend all your time going from one store to the next. They shop daily for food whereas I may go to the grocery store once or twice a month so I'm in only a couple lines a month rather than several lines every day. Your co-worker's mom wasn't freaking over the abundance of food but that it was all in one place.