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CIA Declassified Coldwar Russian Jokes [pdf]

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Re: CIA Declassified Coldwar Russian Jokes [pdf]

#31

Post by andrei_says_ »

kartD wrote: post #25
mlillie wrote: post #16

OK, I need to add my favorite Russian joke here: A German and a Russian die. Neither has been the best person in their life, so they get sent down there. When they arrive in hell, the devil says, "Well, especially bad people have been dying lately, and we're all full up. I can only accept one of you, the other will go to purgatory and get a chance at redemption." He proposes a simple test of their human decency: Each…

I don't get it, could you explain it please?

It's a joke on scarcity of food etc.

No (availability of) shit to eat on most days > he doesn't have to eat shit. On other days shit is available but no shovels are available > he doesn't have to eat shit because there's no shovel to measure it/eat it with.

He knew this would happen because in Russia the food stores were more often than not empty and tools would be often "misplaced"/stolen.

Re: CIA Declassified Coldwar Russian Jokes [pdf]

#33

Post by desdiv »

andrei_says_ wrote: post #31
kartD wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get it, could you explain it please?

It's a joke on scarcity of food etc. No (availability of) shit to eat on most days > he doesn't have to eat shit. On other days shit is available but no shovels are available > he doesn't have to eat shit because there's no shovel to measure it/eat it with. He knew this would happen because in Russia the food stores were more often than not empty and tools would be often "misplaced"/stolen.

He's asking about the training dog joke, not the American hell vs Russian hell joke.

Re: CIA Declassified Coldwar Russian Jokes [pdf]

#34

Post by hprotagonist »

kafkaesq wrote: post #30
hprotagonist wrote: post #7

Regan was actually not bad at telling soviet jokes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN3z3eSVG7A

You know, if you were actually living through that era his sense of "humor" (combined with the suspicion, then widely assumed among leftist, now since medically substantiated) that he was most likely suffering from some form of early-onset dementia -- well, it got old real fast: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_begin_bombing_in_five_minut...

I was not politically aware, but I was technically alive during both administrations.

I remember my parents as deeply unhappy about world affairs, and now i know why.

Re: CIA Declassified Coldwar Russian Jokes [pdf]

#35

Post by mixedCase »

phs318u wrote: post #6

Say what you will about the current political situation in the US, Donald Trump has been an absolute gift to comedians. http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/Donald-Trump/ss/Best-Dona... And in the interests of "balance": http://jokes4us.com/celebrityjokes/barackobamajokes.html

Reading both links I have no doubt that both Democrats and Republicans wasted all their good jokes on their political platforms.

Re: CIA Declassified Coldwar Russian Jokes [pdf]

#36

Post by andrei_says_ »

kartD wrote: post #25
mlillie wrote: post #16

OK, I need to add my favorite Russian joke here: A German and a Russian die. Neither has been the best person in their life, so they get sent down there. When they arrive in hell, the devil says, "Well, especially bad people have been dying lately, and we're all full up. I can only accept one of you, the other will go to purgatory and get a chance at redemption." He proposes a simple test of their human decency: Each…

I don't get it, could you explain it please?

The Russian guy never gave his dog anything. And yet, his methods were so tough and efficient that he taught the dog to speak and beg in human language.

Could also contain a nod to the patience and unending hope of the Russians under their "stingy" government but that's likely too deep and contradicting their infinite cynicism and complete lack of faith ;)

Re: CIA Declassified Coldwar Russian Jokes [pdf]

#39

Post by andrei_says_ »

leephillips wrote: post #8

These jokes aren't bad. What is the story? Are these genuine Russian jokes, or jokes inserted there by the CIA?

Inserting jokes is not that easy. A joke needs to be told in person, create laughs and get retold, go viral.

Similarly there's no reliable formula for viral videos etc.

And, the Russians were pissed enough and cynical enough and often drunk enough to get pleasure from creating their own. Laughing at the cruel unjust absurdity of their Situation was some of the last bit of power they had to form their narrative.

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