"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_President_of_the_Russian_Federation"

Yes, Russian Federation. The SUCCESSOR state of the USSR. There was no President of the USSR until 1990.

"why were they so far behind West Germany at reunification? I mean, they had free high quality education..."

They weren't "far behind". The West dismantled the East's entire economy. When that happens, lo and behold, you're going to have large-scale unemployment and economic problems.

Ever wonder why a large portion of the people living in the former East Germany have nostalgia for the days of the Wall?

@Putin - gotcha. A good point I hadn't thought of.

"complete lack of freedom to criticize the government."

Yet who is the FBI raiding, seizing belongings and hauling before secretive indefinite grand juries for their political beliefs in the United States right now, today, as we speak in Minnesota and Chicago. Socialist and peace groups. So much for being able to be critical of the government.

If you advocate overthrowing the state you expect to be visited by the authorities, no matter what kind of country you live in.

"why were they so far behind West Germany at reunification? I mean, they had free high quality education..."

They weren't "far behind". The West dismantled the East's entire economy. When that happens, lo and behold, you're going to have large-scale unemployment and economic problems.

****

Ok, you're officially an idiot. I cede the thread to you, as I have zero patience for trolls and morons any longer. I hope you find your socialist paradise somewhere - for myself, I'll continue to improve myself, bring in larger and larger paychecks, and laugh quietly to myself when the armchair socialists continue to bemoan how the evils of capitalism won't fairly compensate them for their invaluable skills as retail clerks and 'artists'.

"I'd probably be dead, as the Soviet health care system wasn't exactly optimized to care for people with cronic conditions like type one diabetes."

And the privatized health care system of the US is optimized for what, exactly? You can't even get a serious health condition diagnosed because insurance won't cover diagnostic tests most of the time. And that's when you actually have insurance. People without insurance are SOL no matter what.

US method of handling chronic conditions - "we're sorry, you're not eligible for health insurance because that's a pre-existing condition"

This is perhaps true, but at least when I take my insulin I'm assured it's *insulin*, and not distilled water used to fill up bottles to meet production quotas

but don't worry about, it Putty. I'm sure that True Socialism is just around the corner.

"as I have zero patience for trolls and morons any longer"

I'm sure glad I'm the troll, yet all of your posts are riddled with insults and personal attacks with zero substantive points.

"them for their invaluable skills as retail clerks and 'artists'."

You're confusing things again. Socialist countries don't/didn't pay artists, musicians and the like millions of dollars, the US market economy does. Socialist countries didn't tend to rely on services, so I don't know what your point is about retail clerks.

Don't worry about it, putty. You'll figure it out when you get out of school

"This is perhaps true, but at least when I take my insulin I'm assured it's *insulin*, and not distilled water used to fill up bottles to meet production quotas"

Heh, that's why Cuba produces more doctors per capita than any country in the world, and why people flock there for medical tourism, because the healthcare system is so bad.

In America, if you're lucky enough to afford medicine, there's a better than negligible chance it'll give you horrible side effects because Big Pharma can't stand little things like safety regulations.

"What kicked off the war was the Chechens basically saying 'We want out of here' when the rest of the Union broke up, and Russia wanted to keep them.

Of course, they would not have been able to do this if the Red Army had not faced so many problems past 1991.... which means the Red Army would need to maintain it's current size, or face chunks of the nation seceeding right and left."

Had the West, the Muslim countries and China not funded and armed Mujahadeen in Afghanistan throughout the 1980s, the Chechen problem wouldn't have been an issue. These religious extremists got their teeth cut in the Soviet war and then moved to try and establish Islamic states in Dagestan and Chechnya.

Yup, should have just let the Soviets take over the world! Bad US, no cookie!

and yes, I'm just taunting you now. I'll refrain, and spare the rest of the forum members my love of needling the moronic

But strat, your comments are so amusing! haha. @Putin, yes the US healthcare system is unaffordable for many, but it is undoubtably the most advanced one in the world. We are the leaders in research for most diseases and are pioneering new ways of treatments. If you can afford it, you have the best shot at surviving with our healthcare system.

And yes, Cuba may have the highest per capita output of doctors. But what is the quality of their education? My apologies to anyone who may go there, but the University of Phoenix is a scam where you basically pay for a diploma, not earn it. That's just an example to show that just because you may graduate, doesn't mean you're good

USSR, I'm packing to the USSR...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6JIGto-gNo

@pastoralan hitler wasnt in the USSR he was in the S.U. and lead the nazi party get your facts straight

"We are the leaders in research for most diseases and are pioneering new ways of treatments. If you can afford it, you have the best shot at surviving with our healthcare system."

I keep hearing how it's the best, but yet our life expectancy, infant mortality rate and general health conditions are inferior to that of most other rich countries in the world. And for whatever reason, despite the greatness of the US's health system, nobody else seems to want to follow our model. As for research, a big chunk of it comes from the government, so I fail to see what the privatized system has to do with continuing to be a leader in medical research. And in the end, what good are medical innovations if nobody but the rich can afford to use them?

"And yes, Cuba may have the highest per capita output of doctors. But what is the quality of their education? My apologies to anyone who may go there, but the University of Phoenix is a scam where you basically pay for a diploma, not earn it. That's just an example to show that just because you may graduate, doesn't mean you're good"

In Cuba it's the opposite, you earn a degree without worrying about paying for it. And really, of all the complaints about socialism, no one can say their education systems - anywhere - are shoddy. If Cuban doctors were unqualified, other countries wouldn't continually demand their help. And their medical schools wouldn't be swamped with international students.

Here, I have to agree with Putin. The US health system is a fucking disaster. We don't have the lowest infant mortality rate (not even close). We don't have the highest life expectancy. We have some of the highest cost/benefits in the world and some of the most disproportionate quality of healthcare in the country. Piss-poor, overall.

err...country = world.

Wow. So the upshot: US rocks because if you're rich you can get the best health care, Strat keeps finding new ways to game the system and put more cash in his pocket and Cuba sucks because in a parallel universe, their education system might be as bad as University of Phoenix. That's all we've got to keep from waxing nostalgic for the USSR? Awesome. What an eye opener this has been.

Actually, mcbry, I don't game the system - I work my ass off learning new skills and finding new ways to solve problems. This makes me a more valuable consultant, which means I can demand an increased hourly rate and accomplish more skilled/complex tasks.

I'm only 'gaming the system' in the sense that labor is not fungible - my work experience and education make me a more 'valuable' person than someone straight out of school - not in a 'human worth' sense, but in a 'able to achieve goals' sense.

@stratgos +25K (what we should be worth, at a minimum. over a fresh out of college grad based on our years of experience that we bring to the table)

Years of working my ass off to climb the corporate ladder into a lead BI developer role is not gaming any system, mcbry.

It's all amusing to claim we have such great value to society and work so hard while we're sitting around arguing on a diplomacy forum during workdays.

I do enjoy how people think they're more entitled because they work in a cubicle on a computer as opposed to, heaven forbid, on your feet all day at a retail store or something.

+1 pastoralan for the first answer.
guys, you really need to read "the ender's game" and the other books of the saga, by orson scott card

I worked in a retail store from the age of 16 to 24. So bite me

Although I will state that I find it highly likely that I am more 'valuable' than you, in whatever terms you'd like to frame the debate

Why? Because we need to subject ourselves to Hitler apologia masquerading as poorly written SF?