Lifestyles of the communist elite

nomaderol:

propaganda machine of capitalists working again? Fears!? sorry madamme, using things of two three decades ago wont work... this time, nobody can save capitalism anymore. you had cheated poor ordinary folks by using religions, claiming godless socialists etc etc. but, you can't cheat these poor ordinary folks anymore. can you? no... everybody knows 1% of world people are having luxury lifes while 90% are having hard times to live.

convexThreads: 46 Posts: 7,185 Joined: Nov 25, 09	Edited by: convex Nov 27, 09, 12:24 / #
I hear about how the communist "elite" were living the good life while the citizens struggled. I'm pretty well informed about the day to day life of the citizenry through the various periods of history in communist countries. Does anyone have any information on how the "elite" lived under communism. You hear quite a bit about excesses, but I haven't been able to find any information on people other than heads of state. Anyone have have an idea what kind of perks were given to which people/positions?

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 [Suspended]	Nov 27, 09, 12:36 / #
convex: Does anyone have any information on how the "elite" lived under communism. It's worth reading into how the East German politburo lived - that's probably the most well documented of them all. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldsiedlung does explain it, though not in that great a detail. It's interesting to note that even the elite of the DDR were prisoners in their own way.

BarneyThreads: 16 Posts: 1,630 Joined: May 26, 08	Nov 27, 09, 13:06 / #
Convex Yes, it would be interesting to hear about not just the elites but aome aparachiks lower in the food chain. From what I have heard a lot of local party officials ended up doing rather well out of the change.

polishcanuckThreads: 10 Posts: 583 Joined: Feb 11, 07	Nov 27, 09, 17:21 / #
Party members had many perks: better housing, more money, no food ration cards, more variety in food, own hospitals, more material goods, etc.

szkotja2007Threads: 38 Posts: 2,544 Joined: Dec 29, 06	Edited by: szkotja2007 Nov 27, 09, 17:24 / #
Often loyalty ( or treachery ) would be rewarded with a Dacha

cheehawThreads: 9 Posts: 831 Joined: Oct 10, 09	Nov 27, 09, 18:31 / #
I saw a video at youtube that told about how they moved the native population of Lithuania out of the area and then gave their homes to the soviet government people. There were photos etc. So, that was only about Lithuania, probably happened elsewhere too. I know they did ship a lot of the "unwanteds" (teachers, polish officials) of Poland to places like Siberia, Kazakhstan etc. Then placed their own people into those positions too. youtube has lots of stuff about this. wears you out watching it there is so much of it over there.

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,949 Joined: May 17, 07	Nov 27, 09, 18:41 / #
I think they could shop in special shops with western goods with coupons provided for free sth like that.

joepilsudskiThreads: 44 Posts: 2,529 Joined: Apr 27, 07	Dec 12, 09, 23:57 / #
Communist Elite Leonid Brezhnev in Sauna

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,949 Joined: May 17, 07	Dec 13, 09, 00:02 / #
joepilsudski: Leonid Brezhnev in Sauna Where are his medals?

nomaderolThreads: 7 Posts: 1,213 Joined: Oct 18, 09	Edited by: nomaderol Dec 13, 09, 00:32 / #
cheehaw: I saw a video at youtube propaganda machine of capitalists working again? Fears!? sorry madamme, using things of two three decades ago wont work... this time, nobody can save capitalism anymore. you had cheated poor ordinary folks by using religions, claiming godless socialists etc etc. but, you can't cheat these poor ordinary folks anymore. can you? no... everybody knows 1% of world people are having luxury lifes while 90% are having hard times to live.

dwwdThreads: 10 Posts: 25 Joined: Dec 2, 09	Dec 13, 09, 05:57 / #
southern: Breznhev pozdravlenia. To me, he sounds drunk... :-) DWWD

nomaderolThreads: 7 Posts: 1,213 Joined: Oct 18, 09	Dec 13, 09, 11:28 / #
joepilsudski: However, no 'ism' will solve the problem. you can use the word "social" instead of "social-ism." lets be socials or asocials like those who think no humans, but, who think to make their cars, computers, yachts, etc more luxury. work for these, you can get a bread or two before you get upset and whine when you are unable to have a yacht. (i never dreamt a yacht or luxury cars or the likes.)

joepilsudskiThreads: 44 Posts: 2,529 Joined: Apr 27, 07	Edited by: joepilsudski Dec 13, 09, 21:06 / #
Mao Tze Tung, Morphine & Opium Addict About 20 years ago, I read a biography of Mao Tze Tung...I forget the name and author now, although if interested you could probably find it online...Anyway, very good book, from his youth to his death...Long book. Well, Chairman Mao was a long time morphine/opium addict...He took this medication mostly in pill for (codeine, oxycodone etc), but also ingested pellets of opium, various forms...I do not remember if he injected anything. Long time usage of this drug gives you severe constipation; you cannot move you bowels in a healthy manner for days, even a week or so...This was the direct cause of Elvis Presley's death...He had a stroke on the toilet attempting to go. Mao had the same problem...His staff would notice him getting more and more irritable and difficult to work with as the days progressed...When they saw him go to the bathroom, they prayed he could relieve himself, as to spare them misery. But days would go by and no results...But then, usually at least one day a week, Mao would go in, and the staff would hear a great groaning, and a swearing in Chinese...This would go on for about an hour...Then the staff heard the flushing sound, and Mao would come out smiling and sweating from his exertion, and in relief...The staff rejoiced, knowing that they would have at least a few days of relative peace.

joepilsudskiThreads: 44 Posts: 2,529 Joined: Apr 27, 07	Dec 13, 09, 01:11 / #
nomaderol: propaganda machine of capitalists working again? Fears!? sorry madamme, using things of two three decades ago wont work... this time, nobody can save capitalism anymore. you had cheated poor ordinary folks by using religions, claiming godless socialists etc etc. but, you can't cheat these poor ordinary folks anymore. can you? no... everybody knows 1% of world people are having luxury lifes while 90% are having hard times to live. Dear Karl M. I must inform you that you have been consigned to the 'dustbin of history'...However, you make good points about the pervasiveness of greed...However, no 'ism' will solve the problem. Sincerely, Joe P.

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,949 Joined: May 17, 07	Dec 13, 09, 01:20 / #
Breznhev pozdravlenia.

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,949 Joined: May 17, 07	Dec 13, 09, 10:43 / #
Communist members had access to higher quality vodka.

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,949 Joined: May 17, 07	Dec 13, 09, 11:46 / #
Here you see former members of the communist elite partying while the folks were starving.