Question For Non-US Members

[Ligottian]

In the 90's there was a bestselling book in the US called Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (And It's All Small Stuff). I thought that title was so obscene.

 

[OldDrummer]

I always thought it interesting that the 'pursuit of happiness' was one of the three unalienable rights mentioned in the US Declaration of Independence.

I can't think of any other country with a similar statement in their constitution.

 

[houseofleaves]

In the ussr, there was no homelessness. Housing was a right, publicly provided to all. So was healthcare, and college, and a job. Utilities were free to all. I already provided you proof that they ate better.

It's a lot different when you are homeless just because you can't afford a house, or hospital bills.

Dude i BEG you to take this rose-tinted glasses off. You had to be in a queue to get free housing. And while you were in this queue, you were pretty much homeless. And you couldn't buy a house! even if you had money! i mean — isn't it ridiculous?

 

[Red Scare]

Dude i BEG you to take this rose-tinted glasses off. You had to be in a queue to get free housing. And while you were in this queue, you were pretty much homeless. And you couldn't buy a house! even if you had money! i mean — isn't it ridiculous?

Dueling the Stalin era there was ample public housing, and even more so during the Khrushchev era. Stalinkas were remembered for being very nice accommodations, and today they are some of the most sought out properties in modern day Russia.

 

[Rational man]

Interesting, I was just thinking about that same thing this morning. I live in the USA too. There is a real cult of positivity, and it's part of the larger cult of capitalism. Fake it til you make it, is a popular saying.

But seriously, I hate seeing the toxic positivity crap on social media. People saying they are living their best lives (flaunting their privilege), who have no regard for anyone going through any real shit. They hide their own shit like it doesn't stink. They talk about "dumping toxic people", which is code for distancing themselves from anyone having a mental health crisis, or worse, poor people. It's sickening.

I don't doubt it happens in other countries, but those people may rightly be perceived as obnoxious.

Therefore, people.are not being truthful to themselves. But its okay not to be okay. Life.can.be good and crap and thats.a human thing!

 

[houseofleaves]

Dueling the Stalin era there was ample public housing, and even more so during the Khrushchev era. Stalinkas were remembered for being very nice accommodations, and today they are some of the most sought out properties in modern day Russia.

Yeah, veeeery niiiceee accomodations. You mean communal apartments, right? Where a family had its own room, which often served as a living room, dining room, and bedroom for the entire family? You love that idea?

 

[Red Scare]

Yeah, veeeery niiiceee accomodations. You mean communal apartments, right? Where a family had its own room, which often served as a living room, dining room, and bedroom for the entire family? You love that idea?

Such apartments are still in great demand among consumers. These buildings are distinguished by increased reliability, heat, and sound insulation.

These were most commonly built in the neoclassical style. The typical Stalininka had 3 or 4 bed rooms. Rarely two, or more than four. These had living rooms, kitchen, restroom, commercial pantry at least 0.6 m and built-in wardrobes. The height of the ceilings in the living rooms was set at least 3.0 m. The apartments were provided with water, sewerage, central heating.

Communal housing was transitional housing, while they built more of these types of high rise apartment buildings. With the Krushchev era, construction became more streamlined. Some of the luxury and excesses of the Stalinist era were forgone in favor of faster more mass produced housing, this sacrificed the high ceilings and spacious living rooms for a more modest accommodation. These apartments are still in use today and fetch high rent prices.

Nothing in life is free. Nothing. The high quality "free" healthcare Europeans and many other public health countries enjoy is paid for by looted Iraqi oil. Iraqis and others paid for it in literal blood. Without that oil you're at ground zero. No IV drops no hospital beds no colonoscopies. Nothing .



Sorry to let reality intrude

What? No. It's paid for with taxation. It existed prior to any excursion into Iraqi territory. The people who plundered Iraqi oil were capitalists.

 

[SuicidallyCurious]

Such apartments are still in great demand among consumers. These buildings are distinguished by increased reliability, heat, and sound insulation.

These were most commonly built in the neoclassical style. The typical Stalininka had 3 or 4 bed rooms. Rarely two, or more than four. These had living rooms, kitchen, restroom, commercial pantry at least 0.6 m and built-in wardrobes. The height of the ceilings in the living rooms was set at least 3.0 m. The apartments were provided with water, sewerage, central heating.

Communal housing was transitional housing, while they built more of these types of high rise apartment buildings. With the Krushchev era, construction became more streamlined. Some of the luxury and excesses of the Stalinist era were forgone in favor of faster more mass produced housing, this sacrificed the high ceilings and spacious living rooms for a more modest accommodation. These apartments are still in use today and fetch high rent prices.

What? No. It's paid for with taxation. It existed prior to any excursion into Iraqi territory. The people who plundered Iraqi oil were capitalists.

There is nothing in this life for free. You can have wishful thinking around this all you want , but that is just how it is. In the 2000s and to this day some had to die to prop up other countries.

Your communist utopia is not coming . And soon, like useless Soviet Afghan war veterans you will die . Deal with it

 

[Red Scare]

There is nothing in this life for free. You can have wishful thinking around this all you want , but that is just how it is. In the 2000s and to this day some had to die to prop up other countries.

Your communist utopia is not coming . And soon, like useless Soviet Afghan war veterans you will die . Deal with it

Oh my you're sooo edgy.

You don't understand how your own comments are a scathing indictment of capitalism. That's cute. You're saying those people had to die, to prop up the shitty economic system you are simping for? Pretty fucked if you ask me.

No, there may not be a communist utopia forthcoming, but there is an economic recession coming. Inflation is up more in the last year, than in the past 10. Just capitalism stuff.

Are you saying you won't be dying soon? Then why are you here, or is it just for the LARP? Eh, Mr. ""suicidally curious""?

And you seriously think Afghanistan is better off, and the taliban terrorists are heroes or something? US intervention failed. At least in the ussr afghani women could attend free universities and wear whatever they wanted. You have a real fucked up view of things.

The picture on the left is afghani women attending a university in the 1960s. The picture on the right is afghani women in 2015, now forced to cover up.
No, on second thought I guess you're right, they look so happy in the 2015 picture, I mean just look at that face. Malala would agree.

 

[Heartaches]

As someone who lives in a country known for its positive and welcoming attitude towards others, the collective positivity of the US hits different, I feel due to over-commercialization and emphasis on materialistic value, but I don't feel it's an accurate representation of all the existing cultures in the country (but who knows, I've never gone there).

A few weeks ago I watched a video by an asian-canadian youtuber talking about asian fetishization, and a part of her video was dedicated on how some asian countries (China and Japan if I remember) would highlight certain recognizable aspects of their nations and play into the ideas/fantasies historically coined by the West, such as the "spiritual" and "mystic" East, at the expense of misrepresenting the current situation of their countries; this could be with something as small as what their citizens actually wear or live their daily lives. I feel that some of what she said could be applied here, how countries export a digestable and exaggerated version of themselves to captivate the mind of foreigners.

Exportation of cultural practices and values can cement onto the collective mind of the cultures consuming them, and thus, impact their own values and practices. I'd say the influence of US popular culture has become much more apparent in my country's own popular culture with the explosion social media and influencers, but also in conventional older-media such as movies or TV. This isn't necessarily good or bad, but I do feel it's made our cultural identity fuzzier and it's made us not appreciate our own history as much as we should.

As for philosophical pessimism, I don't feel as confident speaking about it due to lack of knowledge, but I feel we have had some of it in my country, particularly in the 20th century, but again, not sure. Maybe the US has a fear of confronting existencial dread and having identity crisis, but I'd argue it's going through one right now with how much shit it stirrs weekly (don't take that comment too seriously).​

 

[SuicidallyCurious]

As someone who lives in a country known for its positive and welcoming attitude towards others, the collective positivity of the US hits different, I feel due to over-commercialization and emphasis on materialistic value, but I don't feel it's an accurate representation of all the existing cultures in the country (but who knows, I've never gone there).

A few weeks ago I watched a video by an asian-canadian youtuber talking about asian fetishization, and a part of her video was dedicated on how some asian countries (China and Japan if I remember) would highlight certain recognizable aspects of their nations and play into the ideas/fantasies historically coined by the West, such as the "spiritual" and "mystic" East, at the expense of misrepresenting the current situation of their countries; this could be with something as small as what their citizens actually wear or live their daily lives. I feel that some of what she said could be applied here, how countries export a digestable and exaggerated version of themselves to captivate the mind of foreigners.

Exportation of cultural practices and values can cement onto the collective mind of the cultures consuming them, and thus, impact their own values and practices. I'd say the influence of US popular culture has become much more apparent in my country's own popular culture with the explosion social media and influencers, but also in conventional older-media such as movies or TV. This isn't necessarily good or bad, but I do feel it's made our cultural identity fuzzier and it's made us not appreciate our own history as much as we should.

As for philosophical pessimism, I don't feel as confident speaking about it due to lack of knowledge, but I feel we have had some of it in my country, particularly in the 20th century, but again, not sure. Maybe the US has a fear of confronting existencial dread and having identity crisis, but I'd argue it's going through one right now with how much shit it stirrs weekly (don't take that comment too seriously).​

I've found nothing mystical in East Asian countries. If anything they're even more materialistic , humanistic , and crazy than USA about money. Shopping malls in Asia are always packed . I always felt like people were more depressed there too.

That said these countries are wonderful because the odds of being randomly attacked by some drug addict or violent school shooter are low