The postal office, on the other hand, is both subsidized and state-controlled. What of it? State control does not, in my opinion, have negative connotations in and of itself. I am all in favor of having a non-profit state-controlled TV station. That means less commercials for me, as well as less chance of it going under. You’re lashing out at windmills here.
I already addressed this. The independent press is alive and well in Belarus. The fact that you refuse to accept this (because it violates your preconceptions) does not make it less true. Have you ever actually been to Belarus? Your entire theory seems to be based on nothing but capitalist propaganda.
I log on often when there, which is approximately one or two months a year, circumstances permitting.
“Dictatorship” is another meaningless derogatory term. I believe in authoritarian politics, that is true. Not all of us accept the Western nonsense about democracies being inevitably desirable.
You need to read my posts more carefully, friend. I said that “gulag” is a derogatory term; I did not say that it isn’t a Russian word. The prisons are no longer referred to as “gulags.” They are referred to as “kolonii” (colonies), “lagerya” (camps), or, more colloquially, as “zoni” (zones).
(my bolding) In other words: once, in 1960, for 20 minutes.
You said, “‘Gulag’ is a derogatory term mostly used by the West.” The reason it was picked up by the West was because that was the term used by Soviets–as you admit: “no longer referred to as”–and it was meant in a derogatory fashion by them as well. c.f. Solzhenitzen.
You can’t possibly imagine that we are as ignorant as you treat us. I can’t possibly imagine what honest motivation you have.
Have you ever actually been to China?
I seriously doubt the OP’s “friend back home” is getting the best medical care in the world:
I’m wondering where the OP got the idea that medical care is free in Belarus. One must purchase medical insurance. That’s not in place just for giggles.
I also noticed that the Belarusian government can require dual nationals to perform military service before they let them out of the country. Maybe that’s why the OP’s not hopped up on living there?
Of course he can. Remember TOST episode, Mirror, Mirror? Spock’s comment to Captain Kirk applies well here also. Just as it is hard for a savage to act civilized, it is hard for the ignorant to recognize non-ignorance.
[shrug] It’s a slow week. We can feed him curried goat all night.
My only consolation in regards to this history blind idiot is knowing that it’s only the collapse of his Union and the spreading of freedom that has allowed him to spread his idiocy.
And, of course, knowing that if he could have gotten a chance to live on a collective farm or outside of a large city, he’d probably have ended up dead.
So there’s that.
So why is a diehard Soviet going with a German username?
And why does he think he’s going to be good at trolling talking like a 1980s throwback? Come to think of it, “Der Commissar” is just! so! 80s as well. Did that guy get a cryogenic cable get stuck up his ass for 30 years?
Nope. Have you?
Belarus has a fully socialized healthcare system. All medical procedures are 100% free for 100% of Bellarussian citizens.
The only people required to purchase medical coverage are foreigners visiting Belarus. The last time I traveled with one of those, he was required to pay a whopping grand total of $20 for said coverage for a 3-month trip.
In my experience, Belarus has state-of-the-art medical facilities, so the other criticism presented by you is unfounded and silly.
I don’t know about that; I’m beginning to get the sinking feeling that the vast majority of you really are more ignorant than I originally gave you credit for.
For a self-proclaimed community of intellectuals and pedants, you seem to be quite average in terms of rationality and open-mindedness. Look at this thread, for example… Even though I am attempting to debate you people as intellectual equals, 9 out of 10 of you can do nothing but shriek hysterically while spewing insult after insult at me.
So, yes, I think most of you really are pretty ignorant, not to mention dangerously fanatical and biased. I would say I expected more, but hey, it’s the Internet. Expectations must always be suitably low.
I have no idea what of it. When you can explain how the post office is related to freedom of speech/freedom of the press maybe I’ll understand why you think it’s relevant. This is still just a tangent from the gross violation of human rights regularily engaged in by the Belarus government though.
Once of us is certainly not going to be challenged out of their preconceptions. I’ve provided several cites showing a complete lack of freedom of the press in Belarus. Unfortunately, you cannot same about this “alive and well” independent press.
That’s a “never” then, yes?
No, see, it has a specific meaning. “An autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual,” to be precise. Just because you can recognise the negative implications in a word doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply. Like “gulag” the word “dictatorship” doesn’t magically go away because you want it too.
There’s a different forum for that. This forum is for rants and insults and rage.
The point is that you seem to find nationalized entities inherently worrying, and I do not. Since most nations that are not Somalia tend to have state-run enterprises of one sort or another, this must put you in the uncomfortable position of being worried all the time. I, like many people, do not find a state-run newspaper terrifying.
All the links you posted (and all the links you can realistically post) come from organizations with a vested interest in belittling a socialist system. I am sure that I can find pro-socialist sources stating the opposite (and, in fact, belittling your beloved capitalist system). Frankly, what’s the point? You won’t be swayed, and I would have wasted my time. You could, of course, personally verify my account, but we both know that you won’t do that either. So, an impasse.
That’s three or four times in any given five consecutive years.
Your preferred definition fails to adequately define the term. Most nations have governments, and most governments are ultimately managed by an individual. The only defining characteristic of your definition is use of the word “autocratic.” Thus, you seem to define “dictatorship” as “autocracy,” which is simply definition via synonym, which is no definition at all.
I don’t like the term not because I fear it, but because it a meaningless weasel-word that exists simply to be flung at one’s enemies for political points. I prefer precision of language, so I would rather use definable terms when discussing politics. You can use it all you want, if you like; just don’t expect it to strengthen your arguments.
Please Commissar, tell me more about the glories of communism. I am interested and wish to learn more about your viewpoint. Who would you say inspires you? What policies do you favor to create a more socialist state?
I’d say by claiming we’re your intellectual equals, you’re the one who started the insults.
And I don’t know how they do things back in Minsk but here in America -
- doesn’t qualify as the opening of a debate among intellectual equals.
Being your intellectual equal would require most posters here to have a lobotomy. You’re not even doing very well as a troll; you’re not getting outrage and indignation but rather laughter and derision in response to even your most outrageous and inflammatory attempts to stir the pot. Cripes, this isn’t even a very hard message board to troll and you’re failing at that.