hey, not much of the stuff we were taught about commies was legit. my hubby is from russia - suffice it to say, I've learned a lot. matter of fact, the theory of communism is taught in Acts 2 when folks sold what they had and shared amongst themselves.
Well, I was in the then-Soviet Union in 1982 and let me tell you, their grocery stores looked a whole lot different than ours!
Two points...you will love the Ann Coulter endorsing Hillary over McCain clip from Hannity and Colmes. So funny. I have it on my blog or youtube for that matter.
Next point to "bpb's" comment above. Yes, the Bible taught a lot of things about caring for the sick, poor, and other socialist-type views. But you have to remember that while the Bible professes one thing, the followers do another. If your husband is from Russia, he will also tell you about the negative things that came out of communism. And you can hardly quote the bible as an argument for a government that forbid religion.
And you can hardly quote the bible as an argument for a government that forbid religion.
I think bpb was referring to "communalism" or maybe theoretical communism, not the "Big C" Communism as practiced by the Soviets.
Humans will screw anything up, don'tcha know.
"Yes, the Bible taught a lot of things about caring for the sick, poor, and other socialist-type views."
Hee hee hee. Seeing as the Bible predates Marx by 18 centuries, this is snark, right?
I mean, at one point charity was partnered with faith and hope as part of 'that old time religion'. Then some bearded kaffehausers came along and made it untenable.
"But you have to remember that while the Bible professes one thing, the followers do another."
Yep. Still waiting on a Valuista to, for example, call for the moneychangers to be thrown out of the temple.
Oh, my, ThersherK! Preach it!
Communism did not forbid religion! That was a big fat lie! My husband attended the Russian Orthodox Church all of his life - they refer to it simply as "The Church." They have names such as Church of the Redeemer, Church of the Spilled Blood, etc. There are several churches located within the Kremlin walls - I can never remember the number he tells me (4 - 8?). I thought I knew the Bible - I went to a church-affiliated school thru the 9th grade. Hey, his knowledge of the scriptures puts me to shame. As a matter of fact, they have Bibles with books that have been omitted from the versions most of us use (King James, aka "the inspired" version, printed in the 1600s).
Yes, their grocery stores do look different, but they don't do without. I've told him how we were told about the long lines, folks waiting to get food. He says maybe during the days of the Czar, before there was the uprising by the people. When we're in Wal-Mart and there are the long lines at the checkout, he asks me to remind him again of the long lines in the Soviet Union. He's very proud of his heritage - Russians are very proud people.
No one doubts he loves Russia and is proud of his heritage. I would hope he would be. I have never met a Russian who wasn't proud of their country, Russia is a great place. I have never met someone proud of the Soviet Union system of government on the other hand.
Yes, "The Church" existed, but it operated in fear as the government was always trying to repress it and harass its members. The clergy were often arrested and exiled. But yes, the Church existed.
Unless your husband was of the poor working class, he would be sheltered from the abuse of the Soviet people, the shortages of food, and the repression of free speech and religion. But again, Russia is a great place, just not the corrupt system of government.
Oh btw, the long lines at Wal-Mart have to do with the low prices and availability of goods. The long lines in Russia had to do with the lack of food available and high prices. Exactly the opposite. Wal-Mart people want to be there, Russian people had to be there.
Yes, "The Church" existed, but it operated in fear as the government was always trying to repress it and harass its members
Well yes, and they weren't so nice to their Jewish citizens, either.
One of the most powerful memories of my trip to the Soviet Union was meeting a young student in Moscow who was so amazed at meeting Americans, he insisted we come back to his house and meet his father. His father was a retired English teacher. They were such a warm, wonderful family. They treated us like royalty, like visiting rock stars. Pulled out all of their best foods and liquors. It was amazing. Dmitry pulled me aside at one point and said he wanted to show me something: on a wall, behind some books where it could easily be hidden, was a framed picture of the Pope. He was so proud of it.
It was really sad. No one would ever want this country to oppress the faithful in that way.
My husband is considered a Jew - his mother was a Jew. She converted to Orthodox and he was raised Orthodox. No, none of the things you say are what he says. Communism was put in place so the Jews would no longer be discriminated against - all equal.
Communism is on its way back - the young people of Russia are enthuastic about the direction their country is going. For the most part, discipline worked well for them and it's all they know.
Communism fails. Over and over again. If you like a communist country, move to North Korea.
Again, the issue isn't your husband or his background. The issue is communism. The "people" are not enthusiastic for it. Communism has nothing to do with the Jews. Communism is a system of governmental control of the economy established solely for that reason. Please read Karl Marx for a further explanation, than pervert his writings to an extreme, then you will have Soviet Communism.
I know the young people aren't enthusiastic about losing their freedom of speech, the freedom of assembly, and the freedom of or from religion.
Just because "it worked well for them" and it is "all they know" doesn't make it right. The conversion from communism to democracy (or the perverse form of it the Russia's impose) will not be easy. Establishing a country from scratch will take a lot of pain but will be worth it in the end. It is quite unsettling that you would want to revert back to a government that grants its people no rights simply because it is more comfortable for them.
I fear for Russia and the direction Putin is taking it. If Putin was any leader at all, he would do what is right for the country rather than his paranoid version that everyone is out to get him.
Like I said before, having pride in your home country is good, but on the other hand, hoping for it to revert back to a brutal form of government simply because it was what you knew is a terrible view. It didn't work, and will not work in the future. I love Freedom, and I wouldn't want to give it up because it is easier for someone else to manage my affairs than for me to deal with it.
The problem with Communism in practice is that it mandates selflessness and encourages a de facto laziness among those who do not wish to work hard.
Even without the litany of problems associated with those in power who take from the whole and give less in distribution (see: DB's comment about those in power vs. those in poverty), communism on paper fails to account for the needs inherent in Maslowe's hierarchy and human nature's desire for pursuit of self ahead of others. This is why it fails in practice.
Even with benevolent leaders, frustration would reign among the general populace, which will inevitably place varying value among its goods and services, time and talents. And in America, we still see the direct conflict between those who work 60-70 hours per week unwilling to pay teachers because "they get the summers off" and supposedly don't work as hard...
Value judgements will always exists and coal miners will always think that they work "harder" than an artist if for nothing else, the conditions alone are generally less desirable.
Hence, why would a blacksmith want to share his self-generated resources with the artist if he does not value the artist's contribution to society?
...and if the artist knows that the blacksmith is helping to fill his belly and provide a roof, why would he do anything except art?
We "know" what we see and hear vs. someone that lived and worked and worshipped there for 50 years??
Hey, if you want to trade freedom for communism, all the power to you. Who am I to argue?
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