6 ms·

Bloody hell, there were food stamps in 1980?! What did I miss?

dullgiulio 8y ago
In the early nineties. The implosion of the USSR caused hyperinflation and disrupted the supply chain. Luckily it went back on track quite quickly, at least on the European side.
- conistonwater 8y ago
  The photo caption says Food stamps, Warsaw, 1980s, Poland.
- baybal2 8y ago
  It did not disrupt the supply chain, it was already non-existent. At no time in USSR's history were there full shelves anywhere except for Beryozkas (stores for party members.) It was a political system without any credit of legitimacy and political credibility. The state system of Bloc countries was completely unredeemable.
  - hristov 8y ago
    That is not true. In Bulgaria there were generally full shelves in the grocery stores during socialism. There were some hard to get things like coca kola that caused lines but otherwise all basic foodstuffs were easy to get and quite affordable. However I have heard from other people that grew up in socialist countries that Bulgaria had it easier than most in that respect. In the transition to capitalism things got quite worse. Then there were empty shelves there was rationing, prices went up drastically, etc.
- int_19h 8y ago
  Food stamps appeared before the collapse of the USSR. Most places in USSR proper had them in late 80s, and a few even in late 70s.
praptak 8y ago
Not this kind. You didn't pay for food with them. You paid normally but also had to provide the stamps, as a sort of a rationing mechanism.
ckuehne 8y ago
You've missed the wonders of socialism. https://polishforums.com/history/food-stamps-communist-era-64898/ https://polishforums.com/history/food-stamps-communist-era-6... Edit (for the down voters): I observed these "wonders" first-hand, since I grew up in the Eastern Bloc.
- briandear 8y ago
  Why the hell is this being downvoted? The link you provided is a facinating extension of the topic at hand. That you are criticizing socialism on HN is the real reason for the downvotes. There is a distinct group that is anti-capitalism and apparently have never lived under the oppression that was the Warsaw Pact or the Soviet Union, Venezuela or Cuba. And ironically, this is Hacker News — a forum originally started to discuss startups and sponsored by a venture capital company, about as non-socialist as it gets. Thanks for posting the link; reading that thread was very interesting.
  - mikeash 8y ago
    Socialism is a wide category that includes things that are wildly different from Eastern European communism. It’s like sarcastically saying “the wonders of capitalism” when talking about a 19th century workhouse filled with laboring children.
    - greywolf 8y ago
      socialism is a total f'ing disgrace. you are completely lost if you believe otherwise.
  - shaki-dora 8y ago
    It’s downvoted for the same sort of tired ideological jingoism your post engages in.
- alistairSH 8y ago
  I imagine the downvotes are for your generic use of "socialism" instead of a more descriptive "Eastern Bloc Communism" or similar. Socialism can be implemented in many ways, just as capitalism can. But, your point still stands. The flavor of socialism encountered in the Eastern Bloc from post-WWII to the 90s was by all accounts completely dysfunctional.
abcd_f 8y ago
In Perestroika times there was a brief period when there were _vodka_ stamps in Russia. There were problems with both food and spirits, but only the latter was rationed through stamps.
r41nbowdash 8y ago
the central planned economy just ground to a halt
rasz 8y ago
Gas, meat, all rationed, you still had to pay on top of stamps. Great "opportunity" for black market.

In the early nineties. The implosion of the USSR caused hyperinflation and disrupted the supply chain. Luckily it went back on track quite quickly, at least on the European side.

conistonwater 8y ago
The photo caption says Food stamps, Warsaw, 1980s, Poland.
baybal2 8y ago
It did not disrupt the supply chain, it was already non-existent. At no time in USSR's history were there full shelves anywhere except for Beryozkas (stores for party members.) It was a political system without any credit of legitimacy and political credibility. The state system of Bloc countries was completely unredeemable.
- hristov 8y ago
  That is not true. In Bulgaria there were generally full shelves in the grocery stores during socialism. There were some hard to get things like coca kola that caused lines but otherwise all basic foodstuffs were easy to get and quite affordable. However I have heard from other people that grew up in socialist countries that Bulgaria had it easier than most in that respect. In the transition to capitalism things got quite worse. Then there were empty shelves there was rationing, prices went up drastically, etc.
int_19h 8y ago
Food stamps appeared before the collapse of the USSR. Most places in USSR proper had them in late 80s, and a few even in late 70s.

praptak 8y ago

Not this kind. You didn't pay for food with them. You paid normally but also had to provide the stamps, as a sort of a rationing mechanism.

ckuehne 8y ago

You've missed the wonders of socialism. https://polishforums.com/history/food-stamps-communist-era-64898/ https://polishforums.com/history/food-stamps-communist-era-6... Edit (for the down voters): I observed these "wonders" first-hand, since I grew up in the Eastern Bloc.

briandear 8y ago
Why the hell is this being downvoted? The link you provided is a facinating extension of the topic at hand. That you are criticizing socialism on HN is the real reason for the downvotes. There is a distinct group that is anti-capitalism and apparently have never lived under the oppression that was the Warsaw Pact or the Soviet Union, Venezuela or Cuba. And ironically, this is Hacker News — a forum originally started to discuss startups and sponsored by a venture capital company, about as non-socialist as it gets. Thanks for posting the link; reading that thread was very interesting.
- mikeash 8y ago
  Socialism is a wide category that includes things that are wildly different from Eastern European communism. It’s like sarcastically saying “the wonders of capitalism” when talking about a 19th century workhouse filled with laboring children.
  - greywolf 8y ago
    socialism is a total f'ing disgrace. you are completely lost if you believe otherwise.
- shaki-dora 8y ago
  It’s downvoted for the same sort of tired ideological jingoism your post engages in.
alistairSH 8y ago
I imagine the downvotes are for your generic use of "socialism" instead of a more descriptive "Eastern Bloc Communism" or similar. Socialism can be implemented in many ways, just as capitalism can. But, your point still stands. The flavor of socialism encountered in the Eastern Bloc from post-WWII to the 90s was by all accounts completely dysfunctional.

abcd_f 8y ago

In Perestroika times there was a brief period when there were _vodka_ stamps in Russia. There were problems with both food and spirits, but only the latter was rationed through stamps.

r41nbowdash 8y ago

the central planned economy just ground to a halt

rasz 8y ago

Gas, meat, all rationed, you still had to pay on top of stamps. Great "opportunity" for black market.