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I grew up in Socialist Poland. What you're saying is absurdly far away from reality.

Very few people say that things were better. It was a miserable time back then, and the life has drastically improved for the vast majority of the society.

When there was toilet paper delivered to the stores, it was a big deal. And by "toilet paper" I mean a gray, thin, one-layered, recycled one. It's weird we didn't switch to the asian water-bidet style then.

There was literally nothing available in the stores. Imagine your local supermarket, but with literal empty shelves, just vinegar on some of them.

There was even a joke about a guy who comes to a hardware store: - I'd like some screws - We don't have screws - I'd like some nails then - We don't have nails either - Well, what do you have? - Nothing. - Why don't you close the store down then? - We don't have the locks either.

This was a reality for dosens of millions of people back then. Saying that anyone misses that time, and that many people had it better is some kind of a sick fantasy.

Also, it wasn't due to US politics (although it didn't help). With the private enterprise being trashed, and people demotivated to do any sort of work (what for? "If you sit, or you stand, 100zł payment is your right" - another common joke), it was bound to collapse.

If anything, people in Poland saw West world as the one that was fighting to get us out of it all (and as a place of freedom and possibility).

And really - the crazy 90s after the communist rule fell, we saw a huge increase in the quality of life for almost everyone.




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