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Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

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Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#181

Post by 13of40 »

cpursley wrote: post #175
asveikau wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Russia's poor are still not very well taken care of under capitalism. Witness all the Russian soldiers in Ukraine being impressed with washing machines and stealing them.

Please don’t take everything you read on the internet at face value. Every decently sized city there has at least one DNS, Eldorado and MVideo electronics chain: https://youtu.be/XzNDGN6r1bw

I visited Russia in 2013 and 2014, and there were a lot of gritty places, but availability of modern retail shops, goods, etc. was basically the same as places in Europe at that time. My kid travelled there last summer and said the sanctions are having an impact, but a lot of it is on the order of, for example, McDonald's changing the sign outside to some knockoff brand and sourcing their ground beef and packaging from somewhere else.

Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#182

Post by pydry »

tekla wrote: post #91
pydry wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The growth was pretty staggering, yeah. They progressed from agrarian to first man in space in 40 years.

The growth was staggering because they stole grain and farmland from their citizens, exported it to buy machinery because the USSR couldn't manufacture themselves, which was also wasted since they didn't have the ability to keep the machines maintained properly. So yeah, turns out you can do things if you starve your people to death. (See North Korea)

They industrialized fast enough to defeat the Nazis who otherwise would probably have exterminated them. The urgency and the threat they faced if they didnt industrialize quickly enough was real and existential.

And yes, in order to do so they caused millions of Ukrainians to starve by exporting all of the food they grew.

Exactly like Britain did to my ancestors in Ireland for profit.

Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#183

Post by refurb »

sudosysgen wrote: post #153
refurb wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Capitalism has been responsible for lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. Communism, or any other system, can’t make that same claim. Unless you have an alternative, your claims of exploration will fall on deaf ears.

Unless you consider the Chinese to be a shining capitalism, the proportional of people in poverty hasn't been decreased by capitalism.

It’s doesn’t have to be “shining” capitalism to be free market reforms.

It’s pretty clear even “state capitalism” leads to wealth and the elimination of abject poverty.

Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#184

Post by mikewarot »

shagie wrote: post #116
ubermonkey wrote: post #9

I dunno about Yeltsin and the Houston store, but I do know this: I went on a student tour of the USSR as a college student in 1991, arranged through my University (U of Alabama). I was getting a minor in Russian language, and it seemed like a fun trip. It actually got MORE fun because in the run-up to the trip (in spring, 91) there was some dissent in the USSR and many parents wouldn't let their kids go. In order to…

There's a YouTube channel of a Cuban immigrant visiting some American commercial institutions for the first time... Supermarket - https://youtu.be/aBA41QgIty8 Costco - https://youtu.be/UhzQCeKlFDo Texas Roadhouse - https://youtu.be/xRtitCJv4cc Home Depot - https://youtu.be/TLsscvpsH8E

The supermarket was enough for me... what a night and day difference.

We have so much, we take it for granted.

Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#185

Post by shagie »

mikewarot wrote: post #184
shagie wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a YouTube channel of a Cuban immigrant visiting some American commercial institutions for the first time... Supermarket - https://youtu.be/aBA41QgIty8 Costco - https://youtu.be/UhzQCeKlFDo Texas Roadhouse - https://youtu.be/xRtitCJv4cc Home Depot - https://youtu.be/TLsscvpsH8E

The supermarket was enough for me... what a night and day difference. We have so much, we take it for granted.

A followup to the supermarket - https://youtu.be/1PUmVaesFks

Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#186

Post by tomcam »

shagie wrote: post #116
ubermonkey wrote: post #9

I dunno about Yeltsin and the Houston store, but I do know this: I went on a student tour of the USSR as a college student in 1991, arranged through my University (U of Alabama). I was getting a minor in Russian language, and it seemed like a fun trip. It actually got MORE fun because in the run-up to the trip (in spring, 91) there was some dissent in the USSR and many parents wouldn't let their kids go. In order to…

There's a YouTube channel of a Cuban immigrant visiting some American commercial institutions for the first time... Supermarket - https://youtu.be/aBA41QgIty8 Costco - https://youtu.be/UhzQCeKlFDo Texas Roadhouse - https://youtu.be/xRtitCJv4cc Home Depot - https://youtu.be/TLsscvpsH8E

Ok that’s a lot of fun. Not suspended btw

Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#187

Post by tomcam »

bane wrote: post #167
ubermonkey wrote: post #9

I dunno about Yeltsin and the Houston store, but I do know this: I went on a student tour of the USSR as a college student in 1991, arranged through my University (U of Alabama). I was getting a minor in Russian language, and it seemed like a fun trip. It actually got MORE fun because in the run-up to the trip (in spring, 91) there was some dissent in the USSR and many parents wouldn't let their kids go. In order to…

In 1995 I had the pleasure to be part of a State Department sponsored "cultural exchange" with our then new friends in the Russian Federation. Basically it amounted to myself and about a dozen others, organized into a small chamber orchestra going to Russia for a summer, and in exchange a group of Russians formed into folk/pop entertainment group visiting and staying with us for a while during the school year. I can'…

That sounds like a once in a lifetime experience. What kind of music did you play, exactly? What instrument did you play?

Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#188

Post by zmgsabst »

mannerheim wrote: post #172
zmgsabst wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What has you convinced you’re not falling for propaganda on Ukraine — that it’s him who is wrong?

The crimes in Bucha were corroborated by not only the testimony of the residents there, but also the security cameras left in homes and businesses and even satellite photography. The Russians left corpses laying out in the streets for weeks as they occupied the town. https://youtu.be/8ek5jt8Ru3o

I have no idea about Bucha.

I do know that US media has lied or propagandized numerous aspects of this war — from the origins to the current status.

My question was that broader one:

How do you know this isn’t like Iraq (where the media lied about reasons) or Afghanistan (where the media lied about status, until the sudden collapse)?

Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#189

Post by JumpCrisscross »

zmgsabst wrote: post #188
mannerheim wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The crimes in Bucha were corroborated by not only the testimony of the residents there, but also the security cameras left in homes and businesses and even satellite photography. The Russians left corpses laying out in the streets for weeks as they occupied the town. https://youtu.be/8ek5jt8Ru3o

I have no idea about Bucha. I do know that US media has lied or propagandized numerous aspects of this war — from the origins to the current status. My question was that broader one: How do you know this isn’t like Iraq (where the media lied about reasons) or Afghanistan (where the media lied about status, until the sudden collapse)?

> have no idea about Bucha

Maybe start with international accounts of war crimes?

Re: Boris Yeltsin's visit to a suburban Houston supermarket in 1989 (2016)

#190

Post by [deleted] »

gumby wrote: post #13
seltzered_ wrote: post #4

Worth noting this footage of a ussr grocery store (1990/91) : https://youtu.be/t8LtQhIQ2AE Not endorsing the article, I think it's worth thinking beyond just the economic frame and also factoring in community resilience and such. There's arguments such as from writers like Orlov: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Orlov_(writer)

> this footage of a ussr grocery store At least they were spacious! And the small trolleys were kind: you didn't have to feel bad that yours was empty. Even developing contries' markets usually are groaning with produce. What a condemnation of the communist experiement!

[deleted]
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