Return of Soviet-style anekdoty in Venezuela

[CountDeMoney]

That could have been it.  The title song Prince did for that movie was pretty terrifying.

HEY NOW That was an awesome album, and one of the best concept albums of all time.   

[derspiess]

That could have been it.  The title song Prince did for that movie was pretty terrifying.

HEY NOW That was an awesome album, and one of the best concept albums of all time.   

Oh yeah my friends also thought so.  They were also dead wrong.

[Eddie Teach]

I liked that "Party Man" song that was in the movie.

[Martinus]

Nice article. I have not been keeping up with what's going on in Venezuela. The last line got me thinking.

It has long been an exasperated mantra among critics of the revolutionary regime that Venezuelans should stop laughing at their misfortunes and actually do something about them. From jokes to polls, there are signs that this motion is taking place.

Why do oppressed people tells jokes instead of acting for the betterment of their nation?

I have read a lot about the soviet jokes, and this question always nagged at me. My conclusion, after meeting many ex-soviet jews, is that communist regimes are very good at destrying civic values and the social contract by creating the myth that most people work for the internal security apparatus, spying on their fellow citizens. Basicly it seems that when people fear their neighbors are informants, they loose that sense of community and nationhood that make people sacrify their lives for their country.

Yes, this is pretty much it. All the ex-Soviet people (including in countries like Poland or Hungary) are extremely selfish and mistrustful of each other. That's why we have one of the most neoliberal economies and people like Tamas still bitch about a "welfare state".

[Martinus]

Why not say "anecdotes" in the thread title? I really hate when people throw in a foreign word (that is perfectly translatable into English) in English language communication so that they can seem more "in the know".

[Eddie Teach]

Like Caliga saying paczki instead of doughnuts.    

[Valmy]

Yes, this is pretty much it. All the ex-Soviet people (including in countries like Poland or Hungary) are extremely selfish and mistrustful of each other. That's why we have one of the most neoliberal economies and people like Tamas still bitch about a "welfare state".

Somehow I don't think this is where Siege was going with this

[Martinus]

Like Caliga saying paczki instead of doughnuts.    

It's even worse when some people say "paczkis", as "paczki" is already the plural word (the singular being "paczek"). So "paczkis" is like "childrens".

[Valmy]

Why not say "anecdotes" in the thread title? I really hate when people throw in a foreign word (that is perfectly translatable into English) in English language communication so that they can seem more "in the know".

It is what we do in English and why we have such a monstrous vocabulary.  And the reason is because anekdoty is specifically anecdotes of this type. 

[Valmy]

Like Caliga saying paczki instead of doughnuts.    

It's even worse when some people say "paczkis", as "paczki" is already the plural word (the singular being "paczek"). So "paczkis" is like "childrens".

Yeah well we made it an English word so now it will enjoy its '-s' suffix no matter how nonsensical it would make it in Polish.

[Admiral Yi]

Why not say "anecdotes" in the thread title? I really hate when people throw in a foreign word (that is perfectly translatable into English) in English language communication so that they can seem more "in the know".

The story is not about anecdotes.

[Valmy]

The story is not about anecdotes.

Yeah you are right.  This is a reference to jokes not actual anecdotes, as we could consider that term to mean.