Been following the disaster in NC. Lots of complaints

[DFW]

8. Well, no, not all of us want that, but I get your point.

We have lived with all sorts of socialism next door. Stalinist in East Germany and Bulgaria, nut case in Albania, “my way” in Romania*, “goulash” in Hungary, “kinda-sorta” in Yugoslavia, even the short-lived “elitist-light” version that existed in France during Mitterand’s first term. There was always the Soviet elephant in the room, pissed that he let Tito get away, and determined never to let it happen again. East Berlin 1953, Budapest 1956, Prague 1968, it was made clear where the line was drawn.

*“My way” equality in Ceausescu’s Romania consisted of “As your fearless leader, I get half, and the rest of you can all have thirds.”

Except for Yugoslavia, all those places had a common theme: a tiny privileged government elite, a subjugated everyone else, no permission to dissent or protest or even leave, and tests of ideological purity if you wanted to get anywhere (or being a sports star, watched by special secret police during trips abroad so you don’t decide to stay).

It wasn’t the theory, it wasn’t the ideal, but it was the reality. I visited those places when they existed, or soon after the socialist regimes fell. I speak English, Russian, German, Italian and French, which was enough to communicate with 90% of the people I met.

Most of them didn’t want the system they were living under. Official East German propaganda called their regime “the true existing socialism on German soil.” People were shot in the back trying to flee it. Their privileged elite thought it was great. For most of the people, more and “better” versions of that was definitely not what they all wanted. It certainly cured me of ever wanting it. I’m all for the “social” part. I’m perfectly willing to leave the “ism” on the end to Kim Jong Un.