47 sats \ 6 replies \ @Undisciplined 13 Oct \ on: Germany: Overcoming the damage of socialism with socialism econ
How do people reconcile this in their minds? I assume they view East Germany as having been a nightmare compared to West.
Do they attribute that to being ruled by the Soviet outsiders, rather than the system of state control?
It was not a nightmare. What is happening today is more frightening.
Both sides (USA and Soviet Union) had a interest to show the good side of their system. They pumped a lot of money into west and east germany.
But the west got everything and the east had no bananas.
There was also a shortage of meat and other products you need for a good life but it was affordable. And this is the reason why it was always sold out.
On both sides there was a system of state control. No outsiders ruling. But in both cases the laws had to be compatible with the occupying power.
Or do you really think west germany was independent?
If you look at todays map, there are no military bases in east germany and no nato bases and no russian soldiers. When you look at west germany: not much has changed. Still a lot of US bases, US soldiers and Nato bases. They even left the nuclear warheads in west germany.
The soviet union is dead but they are pushing even harder into russia. Now we are at the ukrainian border fighting against....(What? Communism is dead. So we fight putin or are we doing the same thing hitler did?)
reply
I realize that West Germany was not independent. The point was that the laws that were compatible with the West allowed much greater standards of living than those compatible with the Soviets. People were only fleeing in one direction.
reply
reply
No it was not. But you have to accept that not everything was bad.
Hospital and doctors like mentioned here was better for the working class. Because you had the same for all people and doctor study was free. But it got worse because the doctors left the east to work (make money) in the west.
It was a brain drain. Getting free education in the east and go back to west to earn money.
This is also a reason why the wall was built.
reply