Posted on 03/07/2009 10:56:55 PM PST by Talisker
There was a time in recent American history when certain Soviet jokes didn't work in translation - not so much because of the language differences, but because of the lack of common sociopolitical context. But that is changing. As President Obama is preparing us for a great leap towards collectivism, I find myself recollecting forgotten political jokes I shared with comrades while living in the old country under Brezhnev, Andropov, and Gorbachev.
One of my favorite political jokes is this:
The six dialectical contradictions of socialism in the USSR:
There is full employment - yet no one is working.
No one is working - yet the factory quotas are fulfilled.
The factory quotas are fulfilled - yet the stores have nothing to sell.
The stores have nothing to sell - yet people got all the stuff at home.
People got all the stuff at home - yet everyone is complaining.
Everyone is complaining - yet the voting is always unanimous.
(Excerpt) Read more at thepeoplescube.com ...
Nineteen eighty four...
More like a cross between Atlas Shrugged and Brave New World
Put them on your reading list.
But yes the idea of needing a heavy handed fascism (the boot stepping down on a face) is outmoded. That won’t be tolerated. It’s more going to be a “friendly” fascism ala Jonah Goldberg.
1984 was based on the idea that the way you could continue an industrial state was through constant war to destroy the goods produced. Hence the shoes.
“In America, you can always find a party.
In Russia, the party always finds you.” - Yakov Smirnov
“Put them on your reading list.”Just checked Gutenberg.
Gutenberg?
I posted Brave New World by Huxley, Atlas Shrugged by Rand, and Liberal Fascism by Goldberg.
All of them are available in paperback
“From Project Gutenberg, the first producer of free electronic books (ebooks).
The Project Gutenberg collection was produced by tens of thousands of volunteers.”
They have thousands of free electronic books that are no longer under copyright. (aka, really old)
I’ve been underemployed for the past, uh, way to long, so I spend as little as possible. (No, I’m not on that socialist unemployment handout)
In the real USSR, I once read that a factory would make nothing but left shoes, as a way of raising production and thus meeting the quota.
You've paid taxes I assume, so you should take advantage of some of what you've paid for. Go to a library, and check them out. All 3 books will be there, however, you may need an extension of the typical 2 week lending period just to get through John Galt's speech in "Atlas Shrugged!"
Mark
Always liked that one.
5.56mm
Why did they cancel the Obama stamp?
Too many people were spitting on the wrong side.
Excellent post. thanks Read it and weep
Wow. Best thing I’ve read lately!
It’s a precision snapshot of how the idiots are taking over our country and probably the world.
My favorite was a saying by Russian factory workers “...the government pretends to pay us so we pretend to work.”
And there are over 69 million people in this country who voted for “change” and believe these contradictions will lead to a better life for them.
Now I understand why Europeans think we are stupid. Oh wait, they thought we were stupid for not believing in the contradictions, which means they now should think we are smart, which means....oh forget it.
George Orwell, thanks for the warning.
JoMa
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