• SoyViking [he/him]
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    591 year ago

    They outrage is such a great example of western exceptionalism. The existence of western consumer businesses in the countries of the non-Aryan jungle is supposed to be an immense benefit to these places and their departure must necessarily be disastrous for them. Nowhere is the idea entertained that Russians are perfectly capable of creating their own shitty burger restaurants to replace those if the west.

    • BelieveRevolt [he/him]
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      521 year ago

      It’s like that 80s news footage of the first McDonald’s opening in Moscow where they’re like so-true ”finally those filthy commies get to enjoy our superior Western treats”

      Then they interview someone who says it wasn’t really worth it to stand in line and pay so much lenin-laugh

          • @Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            Vuvuzela 9000 dead. Don’t believe me? My parents used to live under the tyranny of communism and then left after they took their slaves.

            Still think communism is cool? Guess again.

            • listen up kid my dad worked in a european embasy and he said the people we bombed where poor so think again COMMIE about how many freeDOMS we have as a result of our rape of the third world

          • @Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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            11 year ago

            Well, if you need to compare a diplomat to a homeless person, then that is a pretty big self own.

          • @sunbeam60@lemmy.one
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            -71 year ago

            Give me a break. No system is perfect and the discussion isn’t about perfection vs horror. It’s about a series of tradeoffs and the tradeoffs done in the west broadly resulting in better outcomes, on average, for the population there than they did in the Soviet Union. For China nowadays, I’m less certain. Definitely in the big Tier 1 cities, life is on par with Western outcomes, for some better for some worse.

            • @Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works
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              131 year ago

              I’m just saying, it’s ironic to use that example of a diplomat as opposed to how many people live paycheck to paycheck barely able to make ends meet or are actually homeless, I doubt those people are crying in joy when they walk into a Walmart

              • @sunbeam60@lemmy.one
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                01 year ago

                I think you’ve missed my point entirely - that could be my fault.

                The example illustrates that even for those well-connected enough in the Soviet Union the sight of a western supermarket was enough to make them weep (this was ‘88).

                I brought this example up to address the false belief that people in Russia weren’t all that impressed with western products (like McDonalds) back when the Soviet Union existed.

                I don’t know how you’re managing to connect that with how people live today and their experience of walking into Walmart.

                Finally, this didn’t take place in Harrods but in ICA in Sweden. Hardly a luxury shop - just an average supermarket.

                • @Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works
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                  31 year ago

                  The idea of communism (extremely simplified) everyone has the means to live and people at “the top” don’t get special privilege on that, obviously almost all actual implementations turn into dictatorships so the point is somewhat moot, however the fact a well connected diplomat in a communist country had to live in the same conditions as other non-well connected people would be a positive, not a negative, they’d see and hopefully be able to improve the lives of everyone as they understand what it’s like.

                  Compare that to a majority of the rich and powerful in America, they’re so ridiculously disconnected from the average experience that they literally do not understand at all what it’s like for those with less.

                  • @sunbeam60@lemmy.one
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                    21 year ago

                    Ah, with that I broadly agree. But I do feel the goalposts are shifting.

                    In the case of “was it right for the west to feel their system was better than the Soviet one” my example simply illustrates that a western supermarket in ‘88 reduced someone from the Soviet Union to tears.

            • Pili
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              01 year ago

              Better outcome is when everyone is homeless and dies from preventable diseases due to unaccessible healthcare, BUT they have a choice of 50 different shampoos.

              And the horror is when everyone has a roof, is educated, in good health, but has to munch on the disgusting government provided nutritious food. 😡

              • @Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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                11 year ago

                When even a Russian diplomat has less options than an American homeless person, it should tell you enough.

        • Jack.M
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          101 year ago

          This is unironically funny as hell. Great copypasta, I’ll add it to my collection.

          • @sunbeam60@lemmy.one
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            -11 year ago

            Well, there’s no use sitting here arguing about this, is there. I know the truth hurts, so it’s easy to reject.

            • @zinguszna@lemm.ee
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              31 year ago

              What sort of nonsense response is that? Anyone can poop out any anecdote they like to support their position and say “I know it hurts so it’s easy to reject”.

        • mojave102
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          11 year ago

          And that Soviet lady’s name? Albert Einstein!

          Liberal theory is just bullshit anecdotes on top of bullshit anecdotes.

    • Maestro
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      201 year ago

      You’re missing the point. For BK to operate in Russia means dollars flowing into Russia, because BK needs to buy Rubles. Dollars that Russia needs to buy arms on the international market, because nobody is accepting Rubles.

      • @zinguszna@lemm.ee
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        11 year ago

        Except BK is an American company. They wouldn’t operate in Russia if they weren’t making a profit. So their net effect is to have money flowing out of Russia.

      • @hackris@lemmy.ml
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        11 year ago

        This is true. However, if I owned BK, I’d see this as an amazing business strategy, although a quite unethical one (but as we can see, multi million+ dollar companies aren’t the most ethical either way). I mean, now the literal government has an interest for it to stay in business, they may even start to promote the brand.