Because I grew up on internet memes I always struggle to cope with the fact that the theme song for Ultraman is NOT in fact Dr Wily's theme from Megaman 2 with lyrics written by nerds on Nico Nico
You lived in the GDR? What was it like? And what was the fall of the Berlin Wall like?
You know that fear that most people live with and take for granted? That fear of not getting a job, or to lose the job/house, of not being able to pay for necessities/education, constant pressure on you in your job, not being able to say something about your boss being an asshole? Not knowing what tomorrow may bring for you?
Imagine a life without that fear.
Imagine everyone, no matter their position at work, being treated with respect by everyone. Imagine working in the service industry with customers who it wouldn’t even occur to to give you shit. Imagine being free to move to another city without having to worry about finding a job (a place to live was trickier because housing was still a bit sparse). Imagine not having to leave a place you love forever because there’s a job elsewhere and you’re forced to take it (except if you’re fresh out of uni - you had to go where you were needed for about 5 years, and then you were free to return).
Imagine everyone going to the theatre and the opera. Imagine art and culture being open to anyone. Imagine having a low-level job and still being able to afford to go on a holiday. Imagine having a family and automatically either you or your spouse getting an extra day per month free to run errands (the “Haushaltstag”).
Imagine good quality, healthy food being subsidised by the state and everyone having access to it.
Imagine going to the doctor or the hospital for free and being greeted by medical professionals who went into that field because they felt called. Not because of money or prestige (those weren’t even admitted. Professors interviewed every single prospective student to see if they’d fit their future profession personality wise).
Imagine never seeing a beggar or a homeless person.
The downsides? Well, instant gratification was not really a thing. A car, a nice flat - you had to apply for those, certain products (like the much-cited bananas) were scarce and only available at certain times of the year. Long queues formed in front of shops when it was banana or orange time (to the point when the joke term “sozialistische Wartegemeinschaft” was coined - “socialist waiting collective”). Scarcity of goods was a big point of contention, especially since it was mass produced right here for the world market (again, a problem having its roots in Western Imperialism).
And then there was the Stasi. No buts about it, they were nasty. They imprisoned, tortured, and systematically drove people crazy. They were the main reason why people started those protests in the first place). The constant surveillance was not fun. Not that it’s any better now, with the intelligence agencies and the police doing some really shady shit.
The over-regulation of life. That sucked too and was something people wanted to get better. You had to vote (or you got a no-no into your file). You had to take part in certain festivities like the First of May (or you got a no-no in your file). There were certain things you just did not say or do in public. It was petty as fuck. (But again, the necessity for those measures was caused by Western Imperialist propaganda.)
You were not allowed to travel to Western capitalist countries. Visiting your family in West Germany was difficult (but they were certainly allowed to visit you - if they really wanted. But that’s the thing, a lot of West Germans didn’t give two shits about their Ossi relatives; that became very clear after the Reunifuckation).
Do I want the system back? Yes. Hell yes. It’s a more equal, more humane system. Do I want it back in that exact way and implementation? No.
To finish things off on a lighter note, I’m going to share a joke with you that people told in the GDR:
A professor is questioning a student. “What kind of society was the first?”“Primitive society, Professor.”“Yes, that’s right. And then?”“Slaveholder society.”“Good. And after that?”“Feudalism, Professor.”“And after that?”“Capitalist society.”“And following that?”“Socialism.”“And after that?”“Communism.”“And what comes after communism?”“Communistholder Society.”
This video really gets to me. When i was younger i was thinking the vocals were crazy and the song was always in my head
Now? Fuck me man it makes me realy sad.
okkusenman replied to your post “Like, I’m mostly unaffected by talking about what flaws I have but now...”
You know, what I recommend is for you to write a list of ten positive attributes about yourself that have NOTHING to do with your appearance. Once you're done, repeat this to yourself as much as it takes: "this, not my looks, is what makes me beautiful."
It would be helpful if it weren’t for the fact that I literally cannot comprehend a single positive trait about myself right now.
