Log in

View Full Version : Saluton Kamaradinoj !!



Sogdian
2nd February 2010, 17:35
Comradely greetings everyone :)

Briefly about myself,
My username means "from Sogdiana", an ancient civilization of Central Asia. I was born in Uzbek Soviet Socialistic Republic and remember those days with great nostalgia, even though I was very young.

Since the break up of one of the Greatest* Civilizations in history, everything has changed in the land, unemployment, racism, sexism, illiteracy, crime, egoism, corruption... you name it, are all over the place, with the introduction of "market economics" - capitalism. It's saddening and hard to believe how people have changed in such a short time (~20 years). As if they have forgotten everything: shame, dignity, trust, humanity... themselves and become Darwinian savages. In most of the ex-Soviet republics recent history has been wiped out of history books, archives, as if nothing had happened. Young generation is growing up knowing nothing about the Soviet Union or Communist Ideology, but false propaganda and paranoia. They proudly wear expensive Nike/Adidas.. (made in sweatshops somewhere in the South by the same cotton they picked themselves for nothing), eat McDonald's dirt and drink filthy Cola, dream of who knows what brand product. The present and the future seems pretty sick especially if one lived in and remember Soviet times.

Anyway, that's how I "became" a Leftist (as I always was). I knew about this blog for a while, but had never felt the need to join as I do these days. Like most of you I am here to learn, to develop my knowledge and stance (though I don't particularly have one, except disagreeing with everything that capitalist profit stands for). Currently reading Capital and desperately need help with self-education on general Communist, Socialist... ideas, as there are so many books, branches, groups ... for a beginner its almost like walking in a jungle of ideas.



*No civilization is perfect! USSR with HER ups and downs was far from perfection (or true Communist ideal!), but HER achievements are matchless.

Nolan
2nd February 2010, 18:09
Welcome to our forum! :)

Today has simply been Christmas for me. First, a Cuban, and now, someone who actually lived in Soviet Uzbekistan.

How would you say Uzbekistan was then compared to how it is now? Is it better or worse? Economically, standard of living, etc..

And what about political freedoms?

Q
2nd February 2010, 23:18
Welcome :)

Sogdian
3rd February 2010, 11:36
How would you say Uzbekistan was then compared to how it is now? Is it better or worse? Economically, standard of living, etc..

And what about political freedoms?
It was much better in any aspects of life, whether standard of living, freedom and so on. I could go on and on talking about how good it was, as it really was! And, I can reassure you that overwhelming majority of people would agree with me. But having said that many people are still deeply disappointed about how the Party let them down and brought the capitalist misery afterwards...It's like mother leaving her young children in a wicked street. Most people do not want to forgive mother USSR. This may sound very shallow explanation, but in emotional level people feel similar. And this reminds me of how Stalin corrupted the People's Revolution of October 1917 and build strong State and not People, which at the end proved to be disastrous. Now we have strong state with dictatorial control by a small group of families and extremely weak and divided society. People don't (have no time to) think of politics, freedoms or basic human rights when they have to struggle for food on a daily basis. What is to be done, is the question :confused:

Nolan
3rd February 2010, 23:32
How do the Socialist and Communist parties do in elections? Thats sometimes a good measure of how class conscious the proletariat are.

scarletghoul
3rd February 2010, 23:58
Welcome to RevLeft! Hope you stick around, the experiences of someone from a real socialist country will be invaluble to our discussions

Comrade B
4th February 2010, 07:49
I went out with a girl who was from Uzbekistan, her father used to tell me how things really went to shit after the soviet union left

Sogdian
4th February 2010, 17:09
How do the Socialist and Communist parties do in elections? Thats sometimes a good measure of how class conscious the proletariat are.

We just don't have Socialist or Communist parties, let alone free elections. All parties are strictly state controlled. And the current president (ex-Uzbek Communist party leader) is in power for 20 years and "elected" thrice (unconstitutionally). I suppose we have inherited DPRK style "communism" with capitalist bits (small business etc.).