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I grew up in an ex-eastern bloc country, so I’m familiar with some of the aesthetics and even echoes of the Soviet mentality. The images fill me with despair. S

I grew up in an ex-eastern bloc country, so I’m familiar with some of the aesthetics and even echoes of the Soviet mentality. The images fill me with despair. So much human potential wasted.

epolanski 2mo ago
Me too, Poland, but I don't share the sentiment a bit. I'm not denying things are better now, but they are also much more complex, people socialize way less, neighborhoods that were filled with life are now filled by cars taking any corner and you barely see anybody sitting outside and just talking. People are way more anxious and less happy, have no kids at all. Are we better overall? Sure. If you look at the financial angle we are. Are we safer or happier? I don't see that at all.
- Arodex 2mo ago
  >they are also much more complex, people socialize way less, neighborhoods that were filled with life are now filled by cars taking any corner and you barely see anybody sitting outside and just talking. People are way more anxious and less happy, have no kids at all. This is also the contrast you can see in countries that didn't live under a single-party rule with a secret police that can disappear you at any moment. What you describe is the disease of modernity, and you wouldn't get a safer happier result if the USSR was back or never disappeared.
  - epolanski 2mo ago
    You are right this is a disease of modernity, not much about Polish transition from PRL.
- twolegs 2mo ago
  That’s a false comparison. People socialising less today has nothing to do with the end of communism. Poland becoming freer, safer and vastly more prosperous is a lot more than just a “financial angle.”
- lnsru 2mo ago
  Look, you had PRL back then and some basic freedom. It’s quite different status than the countries under direct control from Moscow. People had kids, but didn’t talk either. Why? Because you didn’t want to be reported to KGB by your friendly neighbor. Who accidentally visited you during Xmas Eve and didn’t leave before midnight. Maybe for you the collapse of USSR is not that big thing. But for your northern neighbors it is!

I grew up in an ex-eastern bloc country, so I’m familiar with some of the aesthetics and even echoes of the Soviet mentality. The images fill me with despair. So much human potential wasted.

epolanski 2mo ago

Me too, Poland, but I don't share the sentiment a bit. I'm not denying things are better now, but they are also much more complex, people socialize way less, neighborhoods that were filled with life are now filled by cars taking any corner and you barely see anybody sitting outside and just talking. People are way more anxious and less happy, have no kids at all. Are we better overall? Sure. If you look at the financial angle we are. Are we safer or happier? I don't see that at all.

Arodex 2mo ago
>they are also much more complex, people socialize way less, neighborhoods that were filled with life are now filled by cars taking any corner and you barely see anybody sitting outside and just talking. People are way more anxious and less happy, have no kids at all. This is also the contrast you can see in countries that didn't live under a single-party rule with a secret police that can disappear you at any moment. What you describe is the disease of modernity, and you wouldn't get a safer happier result if the USSR was back or never disappeared.
- epolanski 2mo ago
  You are right this is a disease of modernity, not much about Polish transition from PRL.
twolegs 2mo ago
That’s a false comparison. People socialising less today has nothing to do with the end of communism. Poland becoming freer, safer and vastly more prosperous is a lot more than just a “financial angle.”
lnsru 2mo ago
Look, you had PRL back then and some basic freedom. It’s quite different status than the countries under direct control from Moscow. People had kids, but didn’t talk either. Why? Because you didn’t want to be reported to KGB by your friendly neighbor. Who accidentally visited you during Xmas Eve and didn’t leave before midnight. Maybe for you the collapse of USSR is not that big thing. But for your northern neighbors it is!