Communism was designed to undermine and destroy western society but was adopted by those who hated the west as well, since most outside nations only understood communism as a form of rebellion against the west, they didn't grasp that it was a mechanism for destroying nations. Thus, most communist countries ended up committing national suicide, and i'm not even sure how many of them understood just how it happened.
"Westerner's" most ridiculous beliefs about the time of communism in Poland
Peter-KRK
8 Feb 2013 #62
citizen67
Yes, but not only. "Progressive" was everything what was compatible with Russian policy and ideology in particular tmie or was troublesome for its enemies. It could be even Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Robin Hood, Red Brigades, Shinn Fein, enviromentalists, guerillas, Palestinians, married nuns, naughty pupils, etc.
and of course "progressive" was code for Socialism. Yes?
Yes, but not only. "Progressive" was everything what was compatible with Russian policy and ideology in particular tmie or was troublesome for its enemies. It could be even Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Robin Hood, Red Brigades, Shinn Fein, enviromentalists, guerillas, Palestinians, married nuns, naughty pupils, etc.
How much damage do people of eastern Europe feel those 45 years of Communism did to their countries/Eastern Europe? Where do you feel your countries would be if, by some miracle, Stalin hadn't stitched you up, and imposed his Imperial Russian rule and communism on you?
A most ridiculous Western belief about the time of Communism in Poland, is that Russia controlled daily life there down to the smallest minutiae. In reality, this thread is proof that Poland had an entirely different atmosphere to that which existed in the USSR. On the censorship front, on the emigration front, and so on. It was again totally different if Czechoslovakia is discussed, and different once more if you look at a country like Hungary.
In the Polish poster thread I uploaded a Polish poster for The Terminator with Arnold Schwarzenegger. My Ukrainian girlfriend born in the early 1990s, was surprised that it was possible to see this movie in a theater on the other side of the iron curtain. I was embarrassed for her, since she does not have the excuse of being an ignorant American.
My cousins that are in their 40s all grew up on Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Van Damme movies which they traded around on VHS cassettes.
They even had rip off gaming consoles with rip off video games.
In the Polish poster thread I uploaded a Polish poster for The Terminator with Arnold Schwarzenegger. My Ukrainian girlfriend born in the early 1990s, was surprised that it was possible to see this movie in a theater on the other side of the iron curtain. I was embarrassed for her, since she does not have the excuse of being an ignorant American.
My cousins that are in their 40s all grew up on Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Van Damme movies which they traded around on VHS cassettes.
They even had rip off gaming consoles with rip off video games.
6F62A5080C2840349.jpeg
A most ridiculous Western belief
By Western, do you mean American?? Many western Europeans would be aware of the differences between the Soviet Union and their satellite states, partly because of our direct contact with them. For example I'm Irish and my uncle worked in East Germany at the height of the Cold War even though Ireland had no diplomatic ties with any Eastern Bloc countries at that time. For anybody who was interested in politics and open to finding out, plenty of information about life in the East was freely available.
For example I'm Irish and my uncle worked in East Germany at the height of the Cold War
That's fascinating! What did he do?
Recently I surprised a Western friend simply by telling him that it was Western and Japanese finance that paid for most of the gas and oil pipelines which the Soviet Union constructed in the 1970s and 1980s.
He was giving me the normal spiel about what a turd Merkel was for buying into "Putin's lies", and I told him - "Bro. Western governments were providing billions of dollars of loans to the USSR at the height of the Cold War in order to secure energy supplies." He didn't believe me at first, but after a quick Google search he almost fell of his chair.
In his head it did not make sense that governments would send billions of dollars to a country which had 15,000 nukes aimed at them.
The world is a complex place.
He was an engineer. There's a bit of romance in the story too. He fell in love with a young widow who had one child, a little girl about five years old. He smuggled them both out and back to Ireland.
He smuggled them both out and back to Ireland.
Your brother should be reported to the ICC for crimes against humanity.
I joke. Thanks for sharing that.
Your brother
My uncle dear child, my uncle.
In reality, this thread is proof that Poland had an entirely different atmosphere to that which existed in the USSR.
Yes, I still remember that Soviet group who I was sitting next to in the cinema watching the X rated Polish sci-fi film titled Soft Spots. It was in 1981. The film waited for a year to go on screen due to explicit scenes.
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The film waited for a year to go on screen due to explicit scenes.
Another film, Sexmission, was displayed in the USSR in its heavily censored version - 40 minutes less. Amassing how prudish those Soviet communists were. Almost like Americans.
Soviet communists were. Almost like Americans.
Well, who would have thought. And meanwhile, even on this forum we have such American lovers of russia.
Many a Westerner has long held a sort of euphoric, almost Utopian, view of Communism, usually confusing it with Nordic socialism!
Lots of US-born as well as immigrant Jews from Russia at around the turn of the last century, swore by Communism as a sort of universal "equalizer", following centuries of oppression.
Sadly, way too few saw in Communism a sort of muted Faschism, substituting biological extermination with brutally enforced limitations on social as well as economic' freedoms.
Lots of US-born as well as immigrant Jews from Russia at around the turn of the last century, swore by Communism as a sort of universal "equalizer", following centuries of oppression.
Sadly, way too few saw in Communism a sort of muted Faschism, substituting biological extermination with brutally enforced limitations on social as well as economic' freedoms.
Ron2
30 Mar 2026 #74
Some people thought that Poles can speak Russian almost as well as Polish. That wasn't the case at all.
Poles certainly understand Russian much better than Russians understand Polish.
Ron2
30 Mar 2026 #76
@Bobko
Considering much different alphabets, it probably worked both ways.
Considering much different alphabets, it probably worked both ways.
better than Russians understand Polish.
Except of course for Miss Vagvaga Riskegipt.
Poles certainly understand Russian much better than Russians understand Polish.
Probably because Poles learnt Russian as a compulsory subject at primary and secondary schools for decades.
And consequently spoke as well as actually understood Russian (sometimes German) better, at least more thoroughly, than English, although most Poles I know would never admit it.
They all honestly hated Russian, yet they learned it well.
They all honestly hated Russian, yet they learned it well.
And
Sure, 40 years ago. You are living in the past. You should have your own threat, reminiscent of the past century.
@Lyzko
I don't think it's a great discovery to say that some Poles spoke Russian better than English, even while already living in Brooklyn.
You can learn how to read the Cyrillic alphabet in probably twenty minutes. Just train your brain which letters to swap.
Russians all know the Latin alphabet - even if they live in a village in the depths of Siberia.
Alphabet is a weak excuse.
I don't think it's a great discovery to say that some Poles spoke Russian better than English, even while already living in Brooklyn.
Considering much different alphabets, it probably worked both ways.
You can learn how to read the Cyrillic alphabet in probably twenty minutes. Just train your brain which letters to swap.
Russians all know the Latin alphabet - even if they live in a village in the depths of Siberia.
Alphabet is a weak excuse.
Not alphabet, but speaking ability.
.
.
some Poles spoke Russian better than Englis
My first time in Poland, German was more widely spoken. A few times I'd not understand someone in a store and someone behind me knew enough German to help.
A few times, Poles overhearing me speak English (with other Americans) assumed it was German and started using that language.
When I went back I deliberately neglected my German to not have that crutch and to have to use Polish (although some people were trying, often not so successfully, to use English.
russian was mostly not very popular, a few told me they liked the language some of the cultural products but the politics ruined it and there was no real... prestige from knowing or using russian.
Following the collapse of Communism, a middle-aged acquaintance of mine from Warsaw was asked whether one could use Russian In Poland. He replied, "All Poles understand Russian, but no one speaks it.".
Poles certainly understand Russian much better than Russians understand Polish.
I have no real data on the subject, but I guess your statement is only valid for people who learned Russian at school i.e. older generations (I'm among them)
@gumishu
Everyone can learn quickly.
It took me maybe 6 months to start understanding Ukrainian to a degree that's similar to formerly Russian-speaking Kiev residents.
It took me perhaps another year, using my Russian and Ukrainian in combination, to start understanding Polish.
If you know some Spanish, Italian or English, you can fill the rest of the blank spots in your comprehension.
When something makes no sense at all, I just look at the roots, and I try to imagine I'm living in the 15th century.
Everyone can learn quickly.
It took me maybe 6 months to start understanding Ukrainian to a degree that's similar to formerly Russian-speaking Kiev residents.
It took me perhaps another year, using my Russian and Ukrainian in combination, to start understanding Polish.
If you know some Spanish, Italian or English, you can fill the rest of the blank spots in your comprehension.
When something makes no sense at all, I just look at the roots, and I try to imagine I'm living in the 15th century.