tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post4255896983007687644..comments2023-11-05T22:35:31.766+00:00Comments on Neil Clark: Why people are so 'ostalgic' for communism and why western 'liberals' still don't get itNeil Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479041156190090119noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-88222808750474167412011-03-11T14:44:23.052+00:002011-03-11T14:44:23.052+00:00I think Philip K dick once asked "to have his...I think Philip K dick once asked "to have his FBI files reviewed", as soon as the Freedom of Information act came into being under Nixon.. he came to find out, sadly, his file was rather skimpy, with a one-page briefing listing him as a nut-case science fiction writer.. poor guy!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-63841733913239112812009-11-19T05:06:52.318+00:002009-11-19T05:06:52.318+00:00Wouldn't it be lovely if all the files and arc...Wouldn't it be lovely if all the files and archives of MI5 MI6 Special Branch etc etc had to be up. Then we'd have some wonderful surprises about liberal democracy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-33054373659361843432009-11-11T16:50:45.816+00:002009-11-11T16:50:45.816+00:00Much is made of the increased freedom of movement ...Much is made of the increased freedom of movement afforded those who escaped to the West.Freedom to move around alright.But not to settle and find housing. The unemployed miners did not have the economic freedom to live in London with its greater chances of work,not if they had families.Uncontrolled house prices and rents make a mockery of capitalist so-called freedoms. Real movement is more difficult than in South Africa under the pass laws .Thank heavens for our adversarial political system ,all singing the Homeownerist anthem "Wage rises bad;house price rises good"DBC Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17891849727783879145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-69024973343299101732009-11-11T13:07:25.126+00:002009-11-11T13:07:25.126+00:00The West had more subtle methods of surveillance a...The West had more subtle methods of surveillance and repression because our technology was always better.<br /><br />We can say what we like because if we ever decide to do anything the system's agents have more confidence in catching us before we do it.<br /><br />- questionnaireAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-45696906914494822222009-11-11T12:06:26.426+00:002009-11-11T12:06:26.426+00:00absolutely, Gregor, of course it couldn't happ...absolutely, Gregor, of course it couldn't happen here!<br />this is a great liberal democracy, where people have great freedom- though not to light up a cigarette/cigar/pipe in a pub, and not to drop a matchstick on a street. (not unless they want an £80 fine).Neil Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10479041156190090119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-11599495290751056142009-11-11T11:25:10.201+00:002009-11-11T11:25:10.201+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Gregorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14729641571904025752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-12594702517282037442009-11-11T10:49:08.808+00:002009-11-11T10:49:08.808+00:00Jack - thanks for that video. I think Vitrenko...Jack - thanks for that video. I think Vitrenko's right about what's planned for Ukraine's future - engineered bankrupty, followed by a fire-sale of all its agricultural land. I hope the Russians stop it.jock mctrousersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-82541190467785537632009-11-10T10:38:00.738+00:002009-11-10T10:38:00.738+00:00Thanks, Jock. No surprise that comments pointing o...Thanks, Jock. No surprise that comments pointing out the thick nature of some commenters who insist on asking people who dare challenge the orthodoxy of 'everything is great under neoliberalism' to 'go to North Korea' were deleted. <br /><br />I probably did stretch the insults a little, but why were the responses to my deleted comments allowed to stand? <br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/09/1989-communism-bulgaria" rel="nofollow">Maria Todorova's article</a> on remembering 1989 in Bulgaria is a great piece of writing by the way...olchinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12155200018404294369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-40156736351507791772009-11-10T01:49:46.809+00:002009-11-10T01:49:46.809+00:00@Neil Clark
Here’s the YouTube video version pre...@Neil Clark <br /><br />Here’s the YouTube video version presentation by the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine Natalia Vitrenko about the situation in Ukraine and the post economic policy implemented after the fall of the USSR if you want to post it on your blog. <br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVrl8mbge5cjacknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-18678465005468371312009-11-09T21:26:32.438+00:002009-11-09T21:26:32.438+00:00I think that a good model to follow would be the m...I think that a good model to follow would be the model that was followed in Sweden from 1935 until 1965. This involved an essentially minimal welfare system combined with a good public service infrastructure and tightly restricted immigration policy. It was during this time that most of our progress against poverty was made.<br /><br />Then of course from 1965 onwards we introduced our "war on poverty" in which generous welfare payments were given to the unemployed and single mothers. Progress against poverty effectively stopped because people were suddenly rewarded for not contributing to society. Welfare increased poverty for those who would otherwise have gotten jobs and paid their own way.<br /><br />This is just my opinion which I have as a result of being Swedish and seeing how welfare has destroyed our society. We used to have the strongest work ethic of the world. Now we are the welfare scroungers of the world. Our poverty problem is now only being made worse because companies prefer to hire immigrants instead of unemployed Swedes.<br /><br />I would like to know your opinion on Sweden today. What do you think of its welfare model and immigration policy?Elmo Lindströmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-41762385274321624422009-11-09T14:33:13.981+00:002009-11-09T14:33:13.981+00:00The BNP is always showing photographs of happy (Br...The BNP is always showing photographs of happy (British ) workers in a 1950's society largely at ease with itself and making an explicit contrast with the present.Never any mention of the mixed economy,full employment,flat house prices until 1973,affordable houses to rent ,some in new towns.We have thrown all this away for continual house price inflation.DBC Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17891849727783879145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-74451661196563931322009-11-09T12:23:26.133+00:002009-11-09T12:23:26.133+00:00All Olching's comments have been deleted from ...All Olching's comments have been deleted from that CIF thread. Surprise! What a sick sham the Guardian is now - it was never much, but now...jock mctrousersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-21769643124586364172009-11-09T11:38:32.204+00:002009-11-09T11:38:32.204+00:00In Germany it’s the wessies who want the wall back...In Germany it’s the wessies who want the wall back up and of cause many in the east. When communism was overthrown people still expected a reformed version of socialism with healthcare, housing & jobs for life ect, there was no calling for privatization.<br /><br /> To mark the event the German government has invited Henry Kissinger a true figure of liberty, in a way I think they have summed up the west perfectly by having him there lies, greed, barbarity, ignorance and a refusal to except the unpleasent reliality of the western world.<br /><br />Auferstanden aus RuinenLouisnoreply@blogger.com