Feel The Bern 2020

[Ronson]

Are you saying he's wrong and that it's actually bad to provide food to hungry people?

I worked with a Soviet emigre in the late 1970s (he was Jewish and was allowed to leave if he went to Israel, but he changed his ticket in Austria and came to the US instead. That made it hard on his family back in the Soviet Union).

Anyway, at lunch where we worked, he would rush out to the lunch truck and stare at the food - despite him bringing a sack lunch every day. He never bought anything from the truck that I can recall. I asked him what the fascination was, and he said he couldn't believe that trucks would come to you to bring you food, instead of standing in a long line for 8 hours a day. He said one family member could not work a job in the Soviet Union because they were required to stand in lines for food every day.

Plus, he said the food was lousy, bug-eaten and wilted old crops because collective farming had no profit incentives. Farmers would keep the best food for themselves and couldn't care less about the rest that the state took. The lunch truck had a massive variety for this person, and he'd ask what certain foods tasted like (especially Mexican food). I figured he'd get around to trying them all eventually.

So, Bernie Sanders believes standing in line for food is a good thing. He never lived in a country or in a situation where he had to. Typical elitist saying what's good for the little people.

[Cow Poke]

I worked with a Soviet emigre in the late 1970s (he was Jewish and was allowed to leave if he went to Israel, but he changed his ticket in Austria and came to the US instead. That made it hard on his family back in the Soviet Union).

Anyway, at lunch where we worked, he would rush out to the lunch truck and stare at the food - despite him bringing a sack lunch every day. He never bought anything from the truck that I can recall. I asked him what the fascination was, and he said he couldn't believe that trucks would come to you to bring you food, instead of standing in a long line for 8 hours a day. He said one family member could not work a job in the Soviet Union because they were required to stand in lines for food every day.

Plus, he said the food was lousy, bug-eaten and wilted old crops because collective farming had no profit incentives. Farmers would keep the best food for themselves and couldn't care less about the rest that the state took. The lunch truck had a massive variety for this person, and he'd ask what certain foods tasted like (especially Mexican food). I figured he'd get around to trying them all eventually.

So, Bernie Sanders believes standing in line for food is a good thing. He never lived in a country or in a situation where he had to. Typical elitist saying what's good for the little people.

I remember when Victor Belenko defected to the west from the USSR with a MiG 25 Foxbat fighter, landing in Japan in 1976. Fascinating story.

He had a hard time believing, however, that when he saw grocery stores FULL of fresh fruit and breads and pastries and groceries --- that HAD to be a setup. There was not that much fresh food in ANY country.

Ultimately, he demanded to be allowed to board a US Aircraft Carrier and be given the freedom to speak to any sailor at any time. He was astounded that the sailors were very anxious to meet him, talk to him, give him a tour of their quarters, their workplaces --- and they were VOLUNTEERS, not conscripts. Then he saw the multiple galleys -- kitchens were fresh foods were available, and sailors were eating steaks and pastries, and all kinds of goodies. NO WAY that could have been faked.

Only AFTER that, did he believe the US was not lying about the prosperity of the west.

[lilpixieofterror]

Are you saying he's wrong and that it's actually bad to provide food to hungry people?

Soviet grocery store (circa 1986):

Vs.

American grocery stores today:

What one would you rather shop at?

[Ronson]

Interesting. I'm not familiar with his story but I'd like to read that one. It's humbling to learn about how good we have it.

Speaking of disbelief, did you ever read Breaking With Moscow? In that, Shevchenko (the highest ranking Soviet official ever to defect) said that the upper echelon of the Soviet Union were all convinced that there was a secret group of central planners somewhere in the US, because there was simply no way that such prosperity could be the result of an unregulated, uncontrolled economy. They didn't realize the reason their economy was so lousy was because of central planning.

[rogue06]

Interesting. I'm not familiar with his story but I'd like to read that one. It's humbling to learn about how good we have it.

Speaking of disbelief, did you ever read Breaking With Moscow? In that, Shevchenko (the highest ranking Soviet official ever to defect) said that the upper echelon of the Soviet Union were all convinced that there was a secret group of central planners somewhere in the US, because there was simply no way that such prosperity could be the result of an unregulated, uncontrolled economy. They didn't realize the reason their economy was so lousy was because of central planning.

Communist attempts at controlled economies revealed that endeavor is about as successful as sweeping back the rising tide with a broom

[rogue06]

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Back in the 70s Viktor Belenko flew a MiG-25 to Japan and defected. When he came to the U.S. one of the first stops he wanted to make was at a grocery store. When he went in he could not believe his eyes. He was convinced it was a special place reserved for the ruling elite because all the shelves were stocked with an abundance of food of all types. It took him quite awhile to believe that it was a typical supermarket where anybody could and did shop.

[Cow Poke]

Interesting. I'm not familiar with his story but I'd like to read that one. It's humbling to learn about how good we have it.

It's pretty remarkable, because he had been planning very carefully, knowing that he had to be very secretive.
Some quick notable facts:

• He was only allotted enough fuel on any given day to conduct his assigned mission and return - so no extra fuel to leave Soviet airspace.
• He never knew ahead of time what mission he would fly - some required more fuel than others, of course.
• He began taking note of which missions allowed him the most fuel for a round-trip misison, then began calculating how far he could get if he were to fly one-way, accounting for the fact that the first part of his escape mission had to appear that he was complying with the designated mission profile.
• He figured Japan was his best opportunity, so began plotting "the next time I am allotted (whatever) fuel, it's off to Japan.
• He only had radio frequency capability to communicate with his own people, so he knew that a MiG 25 Foxbat flying into Japanese airspace with no ability to communicate was a major risk

Those are just some highlights.




The story of the Soviet pilot who defected to Japan with a secretive MiG-25 Foxbat 40 years ago today

[Cow Poke]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]42429[/ATTACH]

Back in the 70s Viktor Belenko flew a MiG-25 to Japan and defected. When he came to the U.S. one of the first stops he wanted to make was at a grocery store. When he went in he could not believe his eyes. He was convinced it was a special place reserved for the ruling elite because all the shelves were stocked with an abundance of food of all types. It took him quite awhile to believe that it was a typical supermarket where anybody could and did shop.

I remember when Victor Belenko defected to the west from the USSR with a MiG 25 Foxbat fighter, landing in Japan in 1976. Fascinating story....

[seer]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]42429[/ATTACH]

Back in the 70s Viktor Belenko flew a MiG-25 to Japan and defected. When he came to the U.S. one of the first stops he wanted to make was at a grocery store. When he went in he could not believe his eyes. He was convinced it was a special place reserved for the ruling elite because all the shelves were stocked with an abundance of food of all types. It took him quite awhile to believe that it was a typical supermarket where anybody could and did shop.

Back in the sixties we had two families move into my neighborhood from eastern Europe - they were dumbfounded by our supermarkets...

[Cow Poke]

Back in the sixties we had two families move into my neighborhood from eastern Europe - they were dumbfounded by our supermarkets...

Yeah, even back then it was "What, FRESH FRUIT?!?!? -- Even in WINTER?!?!?!"

[seanD]

Interesting. I'm not familiar with his story but I'd like to read that one. It's humbling to learn about how good we have it.

Speaking of disbelief, did you ever read Breaking With Moscow? In that, Shevchenko (the highest ranking Soviet official ever to defect) said that the upper echelon of the Soviet Union were all convinced that there was a secret group of central planners somewhere in the US, because there was simply no way that such prosperity could be the result of an unregulated, uncontrolled economy. They didn't realize the reason their economy was so lousy was because of central planning.

That would be called the federal reserve. Few Americans even know it exists, much less what they do. But instead of controlling the economy from the bottom up, they control the economy from the top down, meaning, they control the markets, which controls the economy.

[rogue06]

That's nice

[rogue06]

Yeah, even back then it was "What, FRESH FRUIT?!?!? -- Even in WINTER?!?!?!"

And, "What do you mean I can get more than one loaf of bread, and I over a dozen different varieties to choose from -- AND there isn't a line stretching outside waiting to get in?

[Cow Poke]

That's nice

I'm gonna pee in your coffee again.

[Ronson]

It's pretty remarkable, because he had been planning very carefully, knowing that he had to be very secretive.

Read several online stories on him. Indeed, fascinating. Just the part about the Foxbat was interesting.